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Post by Bertie on Jun 15, 2008 8:21:27 GMT
Interesting point raised by American authoress Lorrie Moore during last week's "Front Row" on the Beeb.
In US forecasts they refer to "thunder showers" - over here forecasters always say "thundery showers".
I hadn't noticed it myself before, but I think it raises an interesting grammatical point.
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Post by Sue M-V on Jun 15, 2008 9:56:33 GMT
To me they suggest two different things: a thundery shower is a shower of rain with accompanying thunder, whereas a thunder shower would be a load of thunder falling down on us out of the sky. I suppose that's what you thought, Bertie.
We always say "a shower of locusts", though, rather than a locust shower, and what about a baby shower?! Still, thunder doesn't seem to be in quite the same category as locusts or babies.
Sue
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Post by Twoddle on Jun 15, 2008 10:21:55 GMT
"Thunder only happens when it's raining." (Fleetwood Mac.) Untrue, and I'd prefer it to read, "Thunder happens only when it's raining"; but song lyrics are being discussed on another thread.  |
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Post by Verbivore on Jun 15, 2008 10:50:40 GMT
Life is like a sh*t sandwich: the more bread you've got, the less sh*t you have to eat Ooh, Twod - your tag line takes me right back to my radical commie student activist days: that was one of the pet throwaway slogans of those times!  |
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Post by amanda on Jun 17, 2008 7:34:40 GMT
I'm currently reading a book written by an American author. She writes that "it started to sprinkle" which made me smile. I've never come across this before; is it the usual way in which Americans refer to what we in the UK call "spitting"? In case anyone is confused, I'm talking about rain.  |
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Post by Vadim on Jun 17, 2008 8:57:28 GMT
Are they not what you would place on top of a birthday cake?
Hmmmmmmm, cakeeee! ;D
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Post by Dave on Jun 17, 2008 9:32:46 GMT
I'm currently reading a book written by an American author. She writes that "it started to sprinkle" which made me smile. I've never come across this before; is it the usual way in which Americans refer to what we in the UK call "spitting"? In case anyone is confused, I'm talking about rain. We Americans do refer to a light rain as sprinkling, heavier than a drizzle. Spitting, however, just sounds gross! |
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Post by Geoff on Jun 17, 2008 10:43:42 GMT
Are they not what you would place on top of a birthday cake? No, I think they're sprinkles (according to my three-and-a-half year old granddaughter). Amanda, Here in Oz, I think we use both sprinkle and spitting to describe short periods of light rain. |
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Post by Vadim on Jun 17, 2008 12:24:08 GMT
I'm currently reading a book written by an American author. She writes that "it started to sprinkle" which made me smile. I've never come across this before; is it the usual way in which Americans refer to what we in the UK call "spitting"? In case anyone is confused, I'm talking about rain. We Americans do refer to a light rain as sprinkling, heavier than a drizzle. Spitting, however, just sounds gross! You're clearly not a fan of the English comedian, Peter Kay, then, Dave? One oh his most famous lines (along side "Garlic bread" *bemused look*) is that of the dinner ladies at school saying: It's spitting! (with heavy emphasis on the spitttttttiiiiingggg). So true, and therefore, so funny. ;D |
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Post by Barry on Jun 17, 2008 14:21:24 GMT
I think in the UK our weather-forecasters tend to use sprinkle (at least, in its noun form) in connection with snow rather than rain:
"northern parts will see a light sprinkling of snow towards dawn".
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Post by Bertie on Jun 17, 2008 21:34:48 GMT
Dusting?
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Post by Pete on Jun 17, 2008 21:36:23 GMT
UK weather reporters never refer to "spitting"; it's a word only used colloquially in the context of weather.
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Post by Twoddle on Jun 17, 2008 21:38:55 GMT
UK weather reporters never refer to "spitting"; it's a word only used colloquially in the context of weather. They tend to use the more genteel term, "spits and spots". |
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Post by Sue M-V on Jun 17, 2008 22:52:27 GMT
They tend to use the more genteel term, "spits and spots". Very Mary Poppins! Sue |
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Post by Verbivore on Jun 18, 2008 1:40:00 GMT
UK weather reporters never refer to "spitting"; it's a word only used colloquially in the context of weather. Ditto in Oz. It is, in fact, spitting right now, preventing indulgence in outdoor activities I had planned (car cleaning). |
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