Adventures in Advanced Britpicking
You know how, every time you read a British writer's assertion that "Sam was stood in the doorway" or "Bobby was sat in his chair' your mind boggles for a moment at the gall of whoever put them there?
And you think, for a split second- Whoa-
Sam's kinda large to be manhandling like that, and Bobby might bite.
And than your brain catches up with you, and you remember in British that just means "was standing", all on their own, nobody put them there and made them stay.
So you sigh with relief, quit looking surreptitiously around for that brave pushy villain and pick up the thread of the story again.
Maybe you're a little embarrassed because that weird little grammar thing still gets you Every. Single. Time.
So. Then there is this video, with the comment "I think its more disturbing that the cat is sat...ontop of the bannister!" followed by at least half a dozen assurances that the cat probably climbed up there by himself. A couple snarky "Cats do climb, you know" cracks.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155270620070061&set=p.10155270620070061&type=1&theater
And you are again bewildered, just for a moment, because this ONE time, when everybody else was thinking "who had the gall to put it there?", you didn't even notice the weird little thing. *Headdesk*
Funny video, tho. It was suggested under the brawling kangaroos video.
And you think, for a split second- Whoa-
Sam's kinda large to be manhandling like that, and Bobby might bite.
And than your brain catches up with you, and you remember in British that just means "was standing", all on their own, nobody put them there and made them stay.
So you sigh with relief, quit looking surreptitiously around for that brave pushy villain and pick up the thread of the story again.
Maybe you're a little embarrassed because that weird little grammar thing still gets you Every. Single. Time.
So. Then there is this video, with the comment "I think its more disturbing that the cat is sat...ontop of the bannister!" followed by at least half a dozen assurances that the cat probably climbed up there by himself. A couple snarky "Cats do climb, you know" cracks.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155270620070061&set=p.10155270620070061&type=1&theater
And you are again bewildered, just for a moment, because this ONE time, when everybody else was thinking "who had the gall to put it there?", you didn't even notice the weird little thing. *Headdesk*
Funny video, tho. It was suggested under the brawling kangaroos video.