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 Fri Jun 13, 2008 0:10 am Attaching the negative. |
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| Molly wrote: | | All the hotels don't take American guests. |
Prescriptively standard English would require this to be, "Not all the hotels take American guests," or, "None of the hotels take American guests," whichever is meant.
Colloquially, even among native speakers, you'll hear it the way you wrote it.
| Molly wrote: | | He didn't go away very happy. |
This is standard English, in my opinion. |
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Jamie (K)
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 0:22 am Attaching the negative. |
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| Thanks, J. |
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Molly
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 0:23 am Attaching the negative. |
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| Molly wrote: | | All the hotels don't take American guests. |
Where would you find or use such a sentence? Also, does "American" refer only to people who hold US citizenship or does it include individuals from South America and Canada?
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Torsten
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 0:41 am Attaching the negative. |
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| Quote: | | Also, does "American" refer only to people who hold US citizenship or does it include individuals from South America and Canada? |
For me, it includes the whole bunch, as does the word "America", but the times I've been asked to clarify my meaning (and US Americans have moaned at me calling me "so PC") have led me to believe it's not worth maintaining my wide defintion.
What does the word "German" mean for you here?
All the hotels don't take German guests. |
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Molly
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 0:51 am Attaching the negative. |
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It doesn't make much sense for a hotel to say that they don't take any American hotel guests. A hotel which promotes this kind of attitude is bound to be out of business sooner rather than later.
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Torsten
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 0:53 am Attaching the negative. |
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| Torsten wrote: | | It doesn't make much sense for a hotel to say that they don't take any American hotel guests. A hotel which promotes this kind of attitude is bound to be out of business sooner rather than later. |
It's just an example for linguistic discussion Torsten. You can put "Muslims" or "Nigerians" there if you like. All the same to me.
But:
| Quote: | | A hotel which promotes this kind of attitude is bound to be out of business sooner rather than later |
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If the hotel were in an anti-American zone... |
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Molly
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 0:57 am Attaching the negative. |
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What is an "anti-American zone"? Sounds like "an anti-business/anti-common sense zone" to me.
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Torsten
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:06 am Attaching the negative. |
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| Torsten wrote: | | What is an "anti-American zone"? Sounds like "an anti-business/anti-common sense zone" to me. |
I guess it doesn't sound that way to those who set it up. One thing, you often ask me what some of my posts have to do with helping the thread poster and his/her question: so what have your comments got to do with helping me on the thread question?
If one has a hotel in a zone that has been deemed anti-American by the local thugs, terrorists, freedom fighters, etc. the hotel owner might just be showing good business acumen if he were to post a "no Americans allowed in this hotel" notice, now mightn't he?
Catering to Americans, or anyone else who is out of favour at a given time, is not always good for business, Torsten. |
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Molly
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:16 am Attaching the negative. |
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| Molly wrote: | | Catering to Americans, or anyone else who is out of favour at a given time, is not always good for business, Torsten. |
Or blacks! Would you agree? |
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Jamie (K)
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Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:26 am Attaching the negative. |
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| Jamie (K) wrote: | | Molly wrote: | | Catering to Americans, or anyone else who is out of favour at a given time, is not always good for business, Torsten. |
Or blacks! Would you agree? |
Covered here: | Quote: | | or anyone else who is out of favour at a given time |
BTW, does "American" not also include "black"? |
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Molly
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:31 am Attaching the negative. |
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| I wasn't talking about "Americans". I was talking about "anyone who is out of favor at a given time". |
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Jamie (K)
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:11 am Attaching the negative. |
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| And why would "anyone who is out of favor at a given time" exclude non-US black people? |
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Molly
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 19:14 pm Attaching the negative. |
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You're arguing with yourself again, Molly. 
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Yankee
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| Fri Jun 13, 2008 21:26 pm Attaching the negative. |
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| Yankee wrote: | .
You're arguing with yourself again, Molly.
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Really? So tell us why Jamie wrote "or blacks" here?
| Quote: | Molly wrote:
Catering to Americans, or anyone else who is out of favour at a given time, is not always good for business, Torsten.
Or blacks! Would you agree? |
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Molly
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| Reading several books on that subject, Bill considered himself an expert. | Good day instead of hello? |
