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Language

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Old Boy

Old Boy

master brummie
Hi All,

In my younger days 3 or more singers were called a group. A large group was, of course, a choir. Now, however, a group is called a band eg Boys Band or Girls Band. To me a band is a group of musicians getting together and playing martial type music. When did it change . why ,and who decided that it should change?

Similarly I went to a railway station to catch a train. Now it is a train station.
Again I ask when, why and who?

Perhaps other members may have other examples.

Old Boy
 
Old Boy said:
Hi All,
.....................
Similarly I went to a railway station to catch a train. Now it is a train station.
Again I ask when, why and who?

Old Boy
Click to expand...

Thanks Old Boy. I was beginning to think that I was the only person who had ever called it a railway station!
 
Old Boy said:
Hi All,

In my younger days 3 or more singers were called a group. A large group was, of course, a choir. Now, however, a group is called a band eg Boys Band or Girls Band. To me a band is a group of musicians getting together and playing martial type music. When did it change . why ,and who decided that it should change?

Similarly I went to a railway station to catch a train. Now it is a train station.
Again I ask when, why and who?

Perhaps other members may have other examples.

Old Boy
Click to expand...

In the 'OLD' days, they were called duets, trios, quartets, quintets, sextets, octets, etc. Still fashionable in the classical music department, but modern popularity seems to have passed them by.

Whatever happened to aerodrome, & charabanc as opposed to omnibus?

Never mind, "Just dun't play in the 'orse road!"

Eddie
 
Language is always changing. if it didn't we would still be speaking like Chaucer. Some expressions come and do not last. ATMs are not often called ATMs any more but 'hole in the wall' or 'pushie' short for 'push button'.
When I was still working a member of senior management young enough to be my son used expressions 'blue sky thinking' and 'push the envelope'. No one of a certain age knew what he was talking about.
norfolk brummie said:
One of the words that I believe has changed our thinking is the word GAY.

Eddie
Click to expand...
 
Bit like the change from Public Service vehicle to Passenger Carrying Vehicle. In the old days some passengers would tell you that you were public servants, how times have changed.
 
you are right, language is always changing, but what with abbreviations with text messages and modern 'slang' words, I think changes are happening more faster today. I know I find it difficult to understand some things said today
 
I agree with you. On such occasions I ask for a translation into Standard English - one of the perks of being an elderly pedant.
 
I still say Railway Stations, but new words appear and older ones are lost, including thus and luncheon, among others.
 
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Hi Harbonite
Yes I am habit .like that myself I do not like changes
I still refers to the city Hospital as dudley road, that's where I was born,and brought up down on spring hill
Also the Heartlands Hospital will always be the east Birmingham Hospital and the children's will always be the general to me
I do not like the words of meters I still use feet and inches do not like the metric methods
And regarding lunches , never ever used the word I am common and still old fashioned and say the word Dinner
And I am to long in the tooth now to change I say take me as you find me or not at all
Astonian,,,,
 
Astonian said:
Hi Harbonite
Yes I am habit .like that myself I do not like changes
I still refers to the city Hospital as dudley road, that's where I was born,and brought up down on spring hill
Also the Heartlands Hospital will always be the east Birmingham Hospital and the children's will always be the general to me
I do not like the words of meters I still use feet and inches do not like the metric methods
And regarding lunches , never ever used the word I am common and still old fashioned and say the word Dinner
And I am to long in the tooth now to change I say take me as you find me or not at all
Astonian,,,,
Click to expand...

I don't blame you, although I've grown up with Metric measurements so I'll stick to them! Do you miss the old pre decimal money, 240 pence to a pound etc?
 
devonjim said:
"Grammar" what's that? When did "off" gain a compulsory prefix "of".
Click to expand...

An interesting point Jim. I dislike it as it is so often used totally wrongly. The times it could be said to be acceptable work just as well without it. I fear it is the slow assimilation of american speak due to Microsoft and toher American based social media companies.
 
The cities tramcars, when coming off service, bore the legend 'Depot Only'. Motor buses had the legend 'Garage', for example Yardley Wood Garage.

I am unaware about the trolley buses: a Sheldonian or someone who lived along the Coventry Road might remember.
 
What I've also noticed is that some people use the word "weekend" as a verb!

​This reminds me of an early, if not first, episode of Downton Abbey. They were all sat at the dining table and someone mentioned the week-end. The Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) said the most charming line "what is the week-end?" I have to say she had some memorable and often quite humorous lines to say.
 
Astonian said:
Hi Harbonite
Yes I am habit .like that myself I do not like changes
I still refers to the city Hospital as dudley road, that's where I was born,and brought up down on spring hill
Also the Heartlands Hospital will always be the east Birmingham Hospital and the children's will always be the general to me
I do not like the words of meters I still use feet and inches do not like the metric methods
And regarding lunches , never ever used the word I am common and still old fashioned and say the word Dinner
And I am to long in the tooth now to change I say take me as you find me or not at all
Astonian,,,,
Click to expand...
I still think of Heartlands Hospital as Little Bromwich Hospital but refer to it as Heartlands as most people would not know it as Little Brom. Is the Hospital in Yardley Green Rd still known as the Chest Hospital or the Fever Hospital or the TB Hospital?
In our working class home 'dinner' was the main meal of the day regardless of what time it was eaten. Tea or lunch was usually sandwiches or something similar.
 
Harbornite76 said:
I still say Railway Stations, but new words appear and older ones are lost, including thus and luncheon, among others.
Click to expand...
Words go out of fashion if they are not used. Similarly incorrect forms of speech creep in if they are used. Terry Wogan on his Radio 2 morning programme regularly used to highlight 'sat sitting' 'stood standing' with the comment 'What's happening to the English language?'
I still say Railway Station too but we are becoming the minority.
 
I too often say East Birmingham Hospital or refer it as EBH, but unfortunately we are constantly forced to change, like the council tax/ rates you can no longer request a payment card - unless you already have one, which is a method I prefer, everything today is direct debit. What is wrong with using cash - when it's gone it's gone. No overdraft - no debt, just pay as you go.
 
It is still happening. Yesterday I went into a branch of Barclays to pay a bill. There were no cashiers. Only a row of glass and stainless steel machines. Now I have worked with computers in industry for at least thirty years. I can negotiate my way out of M&S or Sainsbury's via self serve machines I regularly use ATM's, but yesterday I was defeated I could not pay a bill in a bank I have been going to for 55 years. I had to press the "Assistance Needed" button. Help eventually arrived and my bill was paid but I do not feel confident that I shall cope next time. I suppose I can set up a direct debit but I miss the cashiers and their offer of "is there anything else I can help you with today" My only excuse was I hadn't got my specs with me but that is a bit feeble as I am not wearing them now.
 
devonjim said:
It is still happening. Yesterday I went into a branch of Barclays to pay a bill. There were no cashiers. Only a row of glass and stainless steel machines. .
Click to expand...

Jim,

I gave up Barclays for exactly the reason you have encountered. After 50 years of banking with them, seeing the whole system change from personal attention, to machines, I had had enough.

I now bank with our local Norwich & Peterborough, with all the facilities that I require, and I am automatically a shareholder! No glass partitions, friendly service, with regular faces that know me, and my accounts. I can lean on the counter, and the teller can let me see my account details on the screen, from 6 inches away! A problem, and a human being sorts it out for me.

Not quite the old days, but much better than Barclays.

Eddie
 
devonjim said:
I'm having a whinge. Has anyone else noticed how often the word "SO" is being used.
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You're not alone Jim. My wife and I enjoy the programme "Pointless" but often when the contestants are asked their occupations, the things they enjoy etc., invariably the answer starts with "So, I'm a .........." or "So, I enjoy........" especially with the younger generations. Sometimes it comes with a rising intonation which makes it seem as if they're answering the question with a question. Annoying? :mad:
 
Yes, but it is not as irritating as “train station” and getting “there, their and they’re” mixed up or “your and you’re”.
We were taught never to start sentences with “and, but or so” because they were conjunctions but that no longer applies. Apparently.
 
jmadone said:
You're not alone Jim. My wife and I enjoy the programme "Pointless" but often when the contestants are asked their occupations, the things they enjoy etc., invariably the answer starts with "So, I'm a .........." or "So, I enjoy........" especially with the younger generations. Sometimes it comes with a rising intonation which makes it seem as if they're answering the question with a question. Annoying? :mad:
Click to expand...
I think the rising intonation appeared when Neighbours began over here as most Australians seem to end every sentence with a rising intonation making their conversations sound like questions.
 
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