"Can I get.....?"

Wozzaaah

Wozzaaah

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Yes
CAN I GET...??!! :bat:
Since when do we say "can I get...?"
No, you can't get, you can ask the person serving to get, once they've got and they give to you, you then "HAVE", so therefore the question is..........?
 
One of my dislikes too, probably from an American television programme

Please may I have would be much more polite
 
Wozzaaah said:
CAN I GET...??!! :bat:
Since when do we say "can I get...?"
No, you can't get, you can ask the person serving to get, once they've got and they give to you, you then "HAVE", so therefore the question is..........?
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Then maybe it should be "can you get (for me)" ;)

Don't you just love Americanised English? :D
 
I blame "Friendz" me self :D
 
As I explained to school kids who wanted to go to the loo during class times

Kid waving hand in air " please Miss , can I go to the toilet ? "

Me " I don't know can you ? "

Stunned silence , and kid is frantically waving paw

Kid " Please Miss ? "
Me " I realise that you probably do know how to go to the toilet - but the question is will I permit you to go . The question is May I go to the toilet ? "

Kid sits and thinks

Kid " Please Miss may I go to the toilet "

Me "Of course you may - you have my permission. "

Once that happens once or twice the whole class knows how to ask for permission to leave the room.
 
camerassassin said:
As I explained to school kids who wanted to go to the loo during class times

Kid waving hand in air " please Miss , can I go to the toilet ? "

Me " I don't know can you ? "

Stunned silence , and kid is frantically waving paw

Kid " Please Miss ? "
Me " I realise that you probably do know how to go to the toilet - but the question is will I permit you to go . The question is May I go to the toilet ? "

Kid sits and thinks

Kid " Please Miss may I go to the toilet "

Me "Of course you may - you have my permission. "

Once that happens once or twice the whole class knows how to ask for permission to leave the room.
Click to expand...
Can I go? May I go? Both mean the same thing.
 
camerassassin said:
Thanks Viv - you understood my little story :)
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When I was at school, a girl wanted to go to the loo. Teacher was pedantic and the poor girl ended up wetting herself at her desk.
It does mean the same thing, the word can, does not actually change the meaning of the word go. Go, is leaving the room with the toilet as the destination, not the action of taking a whizz or having a dump.
 
'Can' means have the capability

Hence 'yes you can - but may you '
 
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British Dictionary definitions for can
can1
/kæn; unstressed kən/
verb (intransitive) ( past) could takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive
1.
used as an auxiliary to indicate ability, skill, or fitness to perform a task I can run a mile in under four minutes
2.
used as an auxiliary to indicate permission or the right to something "can I have a drink?"
3.
used as an auxiliary to indicate knowledge of how to do something he can speak three languages fluently
4.
used as an auxiliary to indicate the possibility, opportunity, or likelihood my trainer says I can win the race if I really work hard
 
American nonsense I think.

"Can I get?" is most definitely wrong - as are:

"I could care less".
"My bad".
"That's a big ask".
"I will be with you momentarily".

Also referring to a railway station as a train station should be illegal!


Steve.
 
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Oh hai, can I get..

giant_cup_of_who_the_hell_cares_mug.jpg


Kthx

:p
 
Language evolves. Who really cares? As long as people don't use text speak then I really could care less ;)
 
Ha, I copied this to my local "spotted" site on FB and it was like poking a wasps nest. :woot:
 
DavieW said:
My pet hate (OK, one of them) is people saying or writing "should of". :mad:
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People should be saying "Should've" but don't really think about it or realise what they are saying hence writing it wrongly.
 
and 'different to' - you can't be different to anything - you 'differ from' or are 'similar to'

and lets not even start with 'different than'
 
in the same spirit

'razed to the ground' if you raze something it will obviously be to the ground :bang:
 
Its a toilet cistern not a system
 
camerassassin said:
Kid " Please Miss ? "
Me " I realise that you probably do know how to go to the toilet - but the question is will I permit you to go . The question is May I go to the toilet ? "

Kid sits and thinks

Kid " Please Miss may I go to the toilet "

Me "Of course you may - you have my permission. "

Once that happens once or twice the whole class knows how to ask for permission to leave the room.
Click to expand...



and the kid just sits there and does it then says
" please miss i've been "
 
Simon N. said:
Damn Yanks!
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I don't like the way they say freakin, or fricken. I'm sure we all know it's Frigging ( hope I am allowed to say that ? ) I think traditionally said to a female, who was annoying you. Possibly to go away and do something more useful with herself. But I could be wrong :oops: :$
 
Steve Smith said:
Or compared to - which should be compared with.


Steve.
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Not necessarily. It depends on the context in which it's being used. Compared to, used when implying similarities. Compared with, to point out differences.
 
big soft moose said:
and 'different to' - you can't be different to anything - you 'differ from' or are 'similar to'

and lets not even start with 'different than'
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Different is an adjective, differ is a verb so it depends how it's used. Oxford dictionary says both "different to" and "different than" are both perfectly ok, if used correctly.
 
In a shop yesterday, mother to child " you don't deserve NOTHING!!", I was tempted to ask the child's mother if he did not deserve nothing, did he deserve everything?
 
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