call or phone?

[MikeBarone]

I have always been troubled by the use of these words with regard to utilizing the telephone.

One that stuck in my head from long ago was "ET phone home!" Should that read call home (hehe)?

I always saw the word phone as a noun and seeing it used as a verb bothers me. I know it can be used in either form but it just irks me terribly.

Would you think it was odd if someone told you to phone you this evening? Or if they said to give you a phone? Do they want your actual phone?

This is rather tongue and cheek but I assume you would have fun with it nonetheless.

Mike Barone

http://www.cgiscript.net

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[CajunCenturion]

The only odd thing I see is in the question:
"Or if they said to give you a phone?"
It is one thing to interchange call and phone as verbs, but quite another matter to try and interchange phone and call as a noun.

Good Luck
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[sleipnir214]

To my experience, to call is more prevalent in the U.S., and to phone more prevalent in the U.K.


I suppose, though, that the two words could be used in two different senses. For example, you need to gain the attention of your friend, who is standing in your back yard holding his cell phone. You could either phone him or open a window and call him.



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[SQLSister]

tongue and cheek

I believe this should be tongue-in-cheek.

Questions about posting. See faq183-874

 

[Dimandja]

Or "tung in cheek", if that other guy had his way with "american english".

 

[MikeBarone]

Thank you SQLSister, I stand corrected. The day isn't complete until you can say you have learned something new! Time to call it a day

tongue-in-cheek (tngn-chk)
adj.

- Meant or expressed ironically or facetiously.

Mike Barone

http://www.cgiscript.net

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[columb]

The use of a noun as a verb descibing the action performed by that noun is a long established usage, however vulgar. Those of us of sufficent age will remember the issues over 'bussing' school children in the sixties (or was it the seventies?) The moot point is when does vulgar usage become accepted usage.

Here in the UK I would say that phone is acceptable as a verb.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=phone

gives it as a verb.

Columb Healy
Living with a seeker after the truth is infinitely preferable to living with one who thinks they've found it.

 

[RodKnowlton]

The use of a noun as a verb descibing the action performed by that noun is a long established usage, however vulgar.

There's a recent trend toward sarcastically referring to this process as "verbing" (over 10,000 hits on Google).

<Meta-Comment>
In this post, could "ironically" be properly substituted for "sarcastically"?
</Meta-Comment>

Rod Knowlton
IBM Certified Advanced Technical Expert pSeries and AIX 5L
CompTIA Linux+
CompTIA Security+

 

[MakeItSo]

In case of uncertainty:
Can I ring you up? / Can I give you a ring
...Ah forget the latter, it's ambigious - especially to your girlfriend!

[blue]The last voice we will hear before the world explodes will be that of an expert saying:
"This is technically impossible!" - Sir Peter Ustinov[/blue]

 

[MikeBarone]

Yes, a critical mistake to say the least. If you ask your girlfriend "Can I give you a ring?", you best have one in your pocket!

Ambiguity in relationships can only lead to a sore back

Sore back is from sleeping on the couch!

Mike Barone

http://www.cgiscript.net

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[ESquared]

'bussing' school children in the sixties

I never knew the free love days involved children all that much. Heehee. It's busing. See buss

Reminds me of when a coworker at an electronics company wrote in an email to a customer about osculators (oscillators).

-------------------------------------
It is better to have honor than a good reputation.
(Reputation is what other people think about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.)

 

[jwenting]

Can I ring you up? / Can I give you a ring
...Ah forget the latter, it's ambigious - especially to your girlfriend!

and "can I give you a phone" isn't?
Especially in these days when mobile phones are marketed as the best gift a man can give his woman (the ultimate seduction device it seems)...