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Overheard while waiting on line ...

 
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Overheard while waiting on line at the local post office... "sir, is there anything perishable?"... "No. It is just a box full of Twinkies"....

Henry
 
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"on line" or "in line"
 
Marshal
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"On line" is the traditional way to say it in New York.
 
author & internet detective
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Nice. Those should be around forever.

"on line" and "in line" both sound right to me. I'd say "on line" though. of course I'm from New York too.
 
Henry Wong
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Paul Clapham wrote:"On line" is the traditional way to say it in New York.



I always used "on line" -- never really thought about it as a New York thing... BTW, I am a native Brooklynite, so it could also be a residue of my former accent.

Henry
 
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wellas someone who speaks The Queen's English (and proud of it) it should be in line, as you are in the line not on it.unless you were sat on somebodys shoulder of course.
 
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Okay, but I must say the timing of the joke is really perished if you have to look up what Twinkies are. It's a sort of snack?
 
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I don't think I've ever had one, but they became pretty famous after this: Twinkie defense.
 
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to this mid-westerner (in the U.S.), "on line" means "I am sitting at my computer and am connected to the internet". If I am in a queue at the post office or Disneyland, I am "in line".

I'm curious as to what New Yorkers call the style of skates known as rollerblades, where there are four wheels right behind each other. Are they on-line skates, or in-line skates?
 
Jeanne Boyarsky
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fred rosenberger wrote:I'm curious as to what New Yorkers call the style of skates known as rollerblades, where there are four wheels right behind each other. Are they on-line skates, or in-line skates?


in line skates
 
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So, do any non-New-Yorkers use "on line" in this way? Because so far, it does seem to be a distinctively New York thing.
 
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It's not a New England or a Texas thing.
 
Mike Simmons
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What about a ninja thing?
 
Bear Bibeault
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Mike Simmons wrote:What about a ninja thing?


That'd be ラインで待っている










[Translation: "I'm waiting in line"]
 
Mike Simmons
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賢い!
 
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Mike Simmons wrote:So, do any non-New-Yorkers use "on line" in this way? Because so far, it does seem to be a distinctively New York thing.



It's in line in Philadelphia. I don't recall it being on line during my time in Buffalo NY either, but I may not have taken notice.
 
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Jeanne Boyarsky wrote:

fred rosenberger wrote:I'm curious as to what New Yorkers call the style of skates known as rollerblades, where there are four wheels right behind each other. Are they on-line skates, or in-line skates?


in line skates


But if you fitted them with a wireless connection they could be online inline skates.
 
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fred rosenberger wrote:to this mid-westerner (in the U.S.), "on line" means "I am sitting at my computer and am connected to the internet". If I am in a queue at the post office or Disneyland, I am "in line".

I'm curious as to what New Yorkers call the style of skates known as rollerblades, where there are four wheels right behind each other. Are they on-line skates, or in-line skates?

To me, it's a matter of emphasis, whether you're describing:

(1) where you are ("You will find me in the line at the cash register." -- definite article before the world "line"), or
(2) what you are doing ("I am on line waiting to pay." -- no definite article before the word "line"), or
(3) how a group of people are standing ("The soldiers are standing in line at attention." -- no definite article before "line").
 
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"Waiting on line" is a regionalism most associated with New York City, but also common in New Jersey and, despite Bear's experience, it seems to be in parts of New England as well. Here, I found a map.
 
Frank Silbermann
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Greg Charles wrote:"Waiting on line" is a regionalism most associated with New York City, but also common in New Jersey and, despite Bear's experience, it seems to be in parts of New England as well. Here, I found a map.

Well, I lived in NYC until I was nearly eight. I would define a "NYC regionalism" to be a usage that I eventually abandoned, whereas I would consider a NYC-specific usage that I kept to be correct and believe it should be considered the standard. I feel the same way about NYC-specific pronunciations.
 
Jeanne Boyarsky
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Greg Charles wrote:"Waiting on line" is a regionalism most associated with New York City, but also common in New Jersey and, despite Bear's experience, it seems to be in parts of New England as well. Here, I found a map.


That map is nice! It's interesting how there is an East coast cluster and than random dots. People moving maybe?
 
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