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I have asked and asked and asked, and have never received a satisfactory answer from University Profs or anyone else. It concerns the use of the words HOSPITAL, or rather the use of THE. Aussies, Kiwis, and everyone in the UK will say------as in a recent post to FG--------Mr. Smith was taken to hospital after his accident.

Most Yanks would say ----Mr. Smith was taken to THE hospital. Why is that?

And yet, most English speaking folks would not say---Mr. Smith went to theatre, they would say----Mr. Smith went to THE theatre. In recent years I have noticed that some American Journalists have started dropping THE when making reference to HOSPITAL.

Gotta go now--------I'm off to restaurant????????

yeah, I've wondered about that too.

you bored today lon:wah: :wah:

neffy;632857 wrote: you bored today lon:wah: :wah:


That reply is no help to my question.

Wish I could answer that question Lon but I'm off to THE office.

Spot, where are you? You are needed over here.

zinkyusa;632867 wrote: Spot, where are you? You are needed over here.There are two meanings and I'm sure the structure exists in America as well as in the UK.

If the intention is to refer to a specific location (eg. the Bristol Royal Infirmary) we'd say "He's been taken to the hospital". If it's to indicate his sudden need for treatment - the condition of having needed hospitalization - it's "He's been taken to hospital". Americans would surely say "Jimmy's gone to school" to convey the social function of what Jimmy's action performed, and "Jimmy's gone to the school" to indicate his location rather than what he's doing right now.

Lon;632863 wrote: That reply is no help to my question.


it a joke lon sorry it didnot answer your question

spot;632874 wrote: There are two meanings and I'm sure the structure exists in America as well as in the UK.

If the intention is to refer to a specific location (eg. the Bristol Royal Infirmary) we'd say "He's been taken to the hospital". If it's to indicate his sudden need for treatment - the condition of having needed hospitalization - it's "He's been taken to hospital". Americans would surely say "Jimmy's gone to school" to convey the social function of what Jimmy's action performed, and "Jimmy's gone to the school" to indicate his location rather than what he's doing right now.


Thanks for the response Spot. But, would you then say "I am going to restaurant" unless you were talking about a specific restaurant, or "I am going to theatre"?

Lon;632900 wrote: Thanks for the response Spot. But, would you then say "I am going to restaurant" unless you were talking about a specific restaurant, or "I am going to theatre"?
I think it is just a bit of a linguistic anomaly. Like when we say "I'm going to take a pee". When in reality we are going to leave a pee.



You're welcome Spot. :wah:

My ex-wife used to drive me nuts by saying "we're going Cinema" like the words "to" and "the" didn't exist. She used to insist this was correct even though I've never heard any other person where English is their native idiom use it. :rolleyes: . Let's face it, she used to drive me nuts full stop.

It is strange ...the old english language.....



"he's in the theatre" ~ entertainment

"he's in theatre " ~ medical

Uncle Kram;632904 wrote: My ex-wife used to drive me nuts by saying "we're going Cinema" like the words "to" and "the" didn't exist. She used to insist this was correct even though I've never heard any other person where English is their native idiom use it. :rolleyes: . Let's face it, she used to drive me nuts full stop.


perhaps she was thinking like..............



I'm going to the pub



I'm going pubbing......................







Mmmmm....I think I'll just shut up ...she didn't say 'cinemaring' did she

who cares slong's we understand each other :wah:

SlipStream;632995 wrote: who cares slong's we understand each other :wah:


There you go again slippy, making sense..

Lon;632900 wrote: Thanks for the response Spot. But, would you then say "I am going to restaurant" unless you were talking about a specific restaurant, or "I am going to theatre"?There are variants of English around the world where both of those would be standard, including Lancashire and Yorkshire where the "to" is cut to a stopped "t' " and "I am going t' restaurant" and "I am going t' theatre" are correct. Abbey probably uses them.

zinkyusa;633003 wrote: There you go again slippy, making sense..


well aint it so;)

Meh it's all foreign to me

spot;633006 wrote: There are variants of English around the world where both of those would be standard, including Lancashire and Yorkshire where the "to" is cut to a stopped "t' " and "I am going t' restaurant" and "I am going t' theatre" are correct. Abbey probably uses them.


Corrie's Fred Elliott speaking about "going to th'airport" always made me smile...I SAY,IT ALWAYS MADE ME SMILE!

I say "It's all Chineses too me"



Everyone else says " Those commie bastards".



Crazy huh?:wah:

I have a hard time with the phrase "Are you going with?"

I have relatives that do that...I ask them "with who?"

and they mean "Are you going with me/us?"

Yeah Wendy, "come with" used to bug me too but I've since adopted it for myself. Weird.

I also say "in hospital." And in referring to the dogs, "in shelter."

One I don't get is "of an evening,"

"We were sitting on the porch of an evening."

What is that?

RedGlitter;633079 wrote: One I don't get is "of an evening,"

"We were sitting on the porch of an evening."

What is that?It's been around a long time according to the examples in the Oxford English Dictionary. Here's the entry:XV. Indicating a point or space of time.

51. a. At some time during, in the course of, on.

Apparently taking the place of the Germanic and Old English genitive of time. Now only implying regularity or repetition (as also in sense 51b), e.g. in of an evening, of a Sunday afternoon. Now chiefly regional.

1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.): Anone of the nyght rysyng, abymalech [etc.].

1472 in J. Raine, North Counties English: Maid asalt..& afrayd his neyghburs of Palmsondai.

1740 S. RICHARDSON, Pamela: Of a Thursday my dear Father and Mother were marry'd.

1830 J. H. NEWMAN, Letters: My practice to walk of a day to Nuneham.

1917 H. GARLAND, Son of Middle Border: Often of an evening, especially in the winter time, father took his seat beside the fire.

1959 K. WATERHOUSE, Billy Liar: He can start coming in of a night, or else go and live somewhere else.

Thanks Spot.