RE: Words, Words, Words

> Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2012 13:05:38 -0700
> From: silme13@yahoo.com
> Subject: RE: Words, Words, Words
> To: tamson-house@googlegroups.com
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> --- On Wed, 7/11/12, lady bebba <ladybebba@hotmail.com> wrote:
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>   That's interesting, Ellen. I don't think I have heard anyone refer to the ground as the floor (outside). Is it possible its a 'southern' English thing?
> ***
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> Interestingly, I found this -- on an American website.
> http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2009/04/is-it-the-floor-or-the-ground.html
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> Oxford says it's informal English in Britain. noun
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> " 1 the lower surface of a room, on which one may walk: a wooden floor
> the bottom of the sea, a cave, or an area of land: the ocean floor the forest floor
> informal the ground: the best way to play is to pass the ball on the floor
> a minimum level of prices or wages: share prices have gone through the floor"
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> And here's a discussion of it on a blog -- American woman with British husband. She's noted it being used in London and thinks it has to do with cricket.
> http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.co.uk/2007/11/floor.html
> The comments are interesting -- with some Americans saying that they use 'floor' for 'ground' (outside), some Brits saying they hear it or say it all the time (north and south) etc.
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> I wonder if David Crystal has researched it. :)
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> Ellen
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Fascinating!