Subj : for discussion
To   : Dallas Hinton
From : Ardith Hinton
Date : Tue Jun 30 2020 20:46:13

Hi, Dallas!  Recently you wrote in a message to Anton Shepelev:

AS>  Its ceasing to rain prompted our closing our umbrellas.

AS>  Or should it be folding or furling?

DH>  All three terms are functionally synonymous, although
DH>  the two you suggest are more formal, imo. And to be more
DH>  pedantic, one folds a newspaper, but furls an umbrella. :-)


            Also being pedantic, I think of the businessman in London who never opens his neatly furled umbrella because it would require so much time & effort to restore the thing to its original condition whereas many people around these parts don't seem to bother trying.  The examples in my GAGE CANADIAN DICTIONARY suggest to me that "furl" is more formal, because they pertain to flags & sails as well... and there are prescribed rituals associated with all of the above.

            Since I'm not familiar with the rituals involving flags & sails but I am the sort of person who enjoys reading dictionaries in order to get down to the nitty gritty, I see that my CANADIAN OXFORD defines "furl" as meaning "roll up and secure".  That's enough input for neophytes like me.  WRT umbrellas what folks do in other places may depend on how heavily, how often, and for how long it's likely to rain.  On the basis of our experience with tents I don't roll up & secure an umbrella for more than a short time unless I know it's dry....  :-Q




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

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