Do You Notice "Contrived" Wording?

[Major Tom]

You guys.........

 

[ShortInSeattle]

I once heard that these "elite properties" are named after whatever natural features they had destroyed.

"eagle heights"..... Yeah, before you built the complex there.

SIS

 

[Major Tom]

I once heard that these "elite properties" are named after whatever natural features they had destroyed.

"eagle heights"..... Yeah, before you built the complex there.

SIS

I noticed that when I first moved to the US - all these street and place names with quaint "Little House On The Prairie" sounding names, but the reality was a little different. For instance, places like "Walnut Creek" and streets like "Orange Grove Ave". Concrete where old-time Americana used to be

 

[Bram]

Back in the 70's we were searching to buy a piece of land. DH found some acreage on Poverty Ridge. That name made me squeamish. Fortunately, it didn't work out.

 

[kyounge1956]

Besides, we say “the La Brea Tar Pits,” even though that means “the the tar tar pits.”

they were going to call it "The Tar Pits at La Brea", but the focus groups shot it down...said it sounded pretentious.

 

[Walt34]

I once heard that these "elite properties" are named after whatever natural features they had destroyed.

"eagle heights"..... Yeah, before you built the complex there.

SIS

Reminds me of the BBS tag line:

Suburbia: Where they cut down all the trees and then name streets after them.

 

[Amethyst]

Seriously, just add a lamp post to your new avatar - Narnia!

the Pines at East Nowhere do exist

Those trees were knee high when I moved into this house back in 1984. The previous owners had planted them. In many ways, their growth has served as a gauge for my life here. It's all good.

 

[ChiliPepr]

First-world problems?

+1

First World Problems

 

[Lazarus]

Drywalled Villas at Mortgaged Meadows

 

[HFWR]

Chinese Drywalled Villas at Foreclosed Meadows

FIFY...

 

[ls99]

Chrysler's Fine Corinthian Leather, as explained by Montablan.

 

[lowflyer]

Just finished reading a Nelson DeMille book in which the main character was annoyed by the adding of "e's" to words in order to make them sound more elegant. His favorite was the "Olde Towne Tavern" which was basically a dumpy bar. He suggested that the government issue a limited number of "e's" to be used in this way and when they're gone, they're gone.

Locally, we often shop at the "Shoppes of...."

 

[rescueme]

Heck, it's no different than the phrase I used when I proposed to DW, over 40 years ago ...

The illusion of (future) reality can always be framed in a good light, IMHO.

 

[MBAustin]

+1

First World Problems

I was commenting to DH recently how so many people seem to need to find something to complain about almost constantly. Now there's even a website for it?

 

[Nords]

I was commenting to DH recently how so many people seem to need to find something to complain about almost constantly. Now there's even a website for it?

Hey, that website is an extremely critical parenting tool.

Every time my daughter complains about her own first-world college problems, I direct her attention to that URL...

 

[FUEGO]

Every time my daughter complains about her own first-world college problems, I direct her attention to that URL...

Luckily, DW was born on the dirt floor of a hut somewhere in the jungle near the Thai/Cambodian border. So in our house, we always remind the kids that they shouldn't take things for granted because the village kids in Cambodia don't have all the nice things they have, like floors and walls and tooth brushes and passenger cars and running water and toilets and a huge variety of foods. The "starving kids in Africa" lamentation to motivate the kids to eat their healthy foods is "starving kids in Cambodia" in our house.

 

[FUEGO]

Just finished reading a Nelson DeMille book in which the main character was annoyed by the adding of "e's" to words in order to make them sound more elegant. His favorite was the "Olde Towne Tavern" which was basically a dumpy bar. He suggested that the government issue a limited number of "e's" to be used in this way and when they're gone, they're gone.

Locally, we often shop at the "Shoppes of...."

Growing up, our shopping mall next to our neighborhood expanded by doubling the square footage and adding a number of outparcels. When they did this, they changed the name from [City Name] Village Mall to [City Name] Towne Center. It was sooooo much more sophisticated after the expansion... I mean, the food court had a Burger King AND a Chick-fil-A.

 

[W2R]

The "starving kids in Africa" lamentation to motivate the kids to eat their healthy foods is "starving kids in Cambodia" in our house.

When I was a kid, it was the "starving kids in Korea". I was always tempted to say, "Then send this food to THEM, because I don't like it!"

 

[ChiliPepr]

When I was a kid, it was the "starving kids in Korea". I was always tempted to say, "Then send this food to THEM, because I don't like it!"

I did once say... "Oh yeah!! name two!"... I have to say my mother was not very pleased.

 

[Nemo2]

When I was a kid, it was the "starving kids in Korea".

Which reminds me of the old Jackie Vernon line - "We were so poor we were adopted by a Korean family".

 

[deserat]

In this case, probably an advertising gimmick. But there are some grammatical rules for it ( found by google ). No wonder is english is so difficult....

Use at, when the place is considered or visualized as, or situated at, a point location (as when at long distance from the speaker):

I'll meet you at the drugstore.
I arrived at Denver at midnight because my flight was late.

Use in when the 3-dimensionality of the place is of concern or significance (as when specifying the inside rather than the outside):

I was supposed to meet her at the corner, but I found her in the drugstore.
I've never been in Denver before.

At vs In - Common Mistakes and Confusing Words in English - Learn English Mistakes

OMG - just like my German class - you could make the distinction of meeting someone at the train station, in the train station, outside the train station or near the train station...just by the article. Never did get that right.......

Similar in Spanish.....and English see above. However, I seem to remember, the German had even more specificity with regard to your location as determined by the article - weeeeeee!!!!!

 

[deserat]

Reminds me of the BBS tag line:

Suburbia: Where they cut down all the trees and then name streets after them.

How about where the cut down all the trees and make them 2x4's for the frame houses......