Post AWtjf60wGi7NNfOGy8 by Bobblegagger@mastodon.world
(DIR) More posts by Bobblegagger@mastodon.world
(DIR) Post #AWtcuf5BT3dYoAqqIK by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-06-20T22:15:03Z
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I have a vague memory that there's some kind of rule about whether you say you're riding "in" a vehicle or "on" a vehicle — something like if you enter, walk around, and then sit down, it's "on" (e.g., on a boat, on an airplane, on a bus), but if you just get in, it's "in" (e.g., in a car, in a canoe). But I'm not quite sure that's it. Does anyone else know?cc @Seth
(DIR) Post #AWtd1vAk2rSsjiudQu by jbowen@mast.hpc.social
2023-06-20T22:16:22Z
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@grammargirl @Seth On a motorcycle, but in the sidecar.
(DIR) Post #AWtdCkCNBYSxt5pudM by trick@hachyderm.io
2023-06-20T22:18:17Z
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@grammargirl @Seth I actually looked this up a week or so ago, courtesy of Britannica dictionary:"Usually, you should use *in* when you are talking about a small vehicle or a personal vehicle. Use *on* when you are talking about a large vehicle or a public vehicle. An exception to this is when you are talking about a bicycle or motorcycle. For small vehicles like those, use *on*."https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/What-is-the-correct-word-to-use-for-vehicles-in-or-on-
(DIR) Post #AWtdMmZxBquUALeWkC by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-06-20T22:20:07Z
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@trick @Seth Thanks!
(DIR) Post #AWtdPPqaAA3yX7gbnE by mkb@mastodon.social
2023-06-20T22:20:31Z
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@grammargirl @Seth Bicycles and skateboards complicate matters.
(DIR) Post #AWtdc4dyJ9PQXKp7ce by RCreamer@c.im
2023-06-20T22:22:54Z
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@grammargirl @Seth I think 'in' is correct for riding a: boat, airplane, bus. But 'on' is correct for riding a motorcycle since you're on top of it. That said, the process of boarding a vehicle is different than riding, so you get 'on' a boat/airplane/bus. But that's just my memory's backlog of historical experience, I'm not an expert).
(DIR) Post #AWte1qUfXXTIBElFyq by bodhipaksa@mastodon.scot
2023-06-20T22:27:33Z
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@grammargirl @Seth It seems that size does matter. You might ride on a bus but in a minibus. Or on a boat but in a dinghy. (At least that's what sounds natural to me.)
(DIR) Post #AWte641fAZwfJ9Cn8y by CStamp@mastodon.social
2023-06-20T22:28:18Z
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@grammargirl @Seth This seems to make sense: get in (enter) = vehicle is a smaller size, most likely personal useget on (board) = vehicle is larger, public transportationhttps://ask.metafilter.com/318593/English-prepositions-with-regards-to-vehicle-type
(DIR) Post #AWteygLEvdVTmOPEki by coprolite9000@mastodon.me.uk
2023-06-20T22:38:11Z
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@grammargirl @Seth I'm reminded of something quite different but with the same in/on distinction - 'in orbit' versus 'on orbit' (the latter seemingly preferred by NASA when referring to activities during spaceflight).This seems a decent breakdown of things: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/11/grammar-in-space-are-you-in-orbit-or-on-orbit/381522/(I did physics and astrophysics a zillion years ago at university where things were always *in* orbit, so NASA's oddly specific wording has always stuck out a bit.)
(DIR) Post #AWtez13ZuUrC1hIvdg by CaptainFlab@libretooth.gr
2023-06-20T22:38:13Z
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@grammargirl @Seth “[At the airport] they always tell you ‘Get on the plane.’ I say ‘Fuck you—I'm getting *in*! Let the daredevils get on!’”-George Carlin
(DIR) Post #AWtfmIxu7E8jl49Y4e by TimPhon@lingo.lol
2023-06-20T22:47:08Z
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@grammargirl @Seth What about a historical linguistic perspective?"On" a boat (of a particular type that maybe had a deck and no "indoors")."On" a cart (horse-drawn, no cover)."In" a carriage (covered space, so matching non-transport uses of "in").And so on.Then, over time, new forms of transport got assigned, sometimes based on that same logic, and sometimes based on whatever existing form they most resembled.1/
(DIR) Post #AWtgXDV6FaZmQ837Y0 by TimPhon@lingo.lol
2023-06-20T22:50:05Z
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@grammargirl @Seth So, "on" a plane because aircraft are generally treated like boats, linguistically: they land at air-*ports*, they have pilots, you embark and disembark.And "in" a car or other covered vehicle, both because it's literally in but also because it's the natural successor to covered horse-drawn carriages.And "on" a cruise ship - although most of it is indoors, it is a boat and therefore inherits the preposition for boat-like objects.2/
(DIR) Post #AWtgXElRYJFAL6hgf2 by TimPhon@lingo.lol
2023-06-20T22:54:30Z
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@grammargirl @Seth On the other hand, what's with canoes? I use "in", although they are boats (which suggests "on" from the historical perspective) and they are not enclosed (which suggests "on" from the semantic perspective)."On" a bike works both ways (most analogous foregoing transport = a horse, I think)."On" a parade float. Does that count as a transport - uncovered wagon - or is it more like being "on" a stage, with the movement being secondary?3/3 (for now)#PrepositionsAreWeird
(DIR) Post #AWtgXFVsleOGf8Qm2q by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-06-20T22:55:31Z
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@TimPhon @Seth I love that we are down the rabbit hole of considering parade floats!
(DIR) Post #AWth2ZZwDNXLs5GQz2 by outeast@mastodon.green
2023-06-20T23:01:18Z
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@grammargirl @Seth These "rules" are decent heuristics to guide language learners, but with a few exceptions ("on a car" seems to be a genuine no-no) they don't stand up to scrutiny. Try a search for "I'm in a plane", "I'm in a bus" etc. and you'll find tons of perfectly good usage examples that break 'em. Plenty of outliers too - "in a tug boat", for example.
(DIR) Post #AWtjf60wGi7NNfOGy8 by Bobblegagger@mastodon.world
2023-06-20T23:30:37Z
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@grammargirlHmmm...we sit ON a couch and IN a chair. When its all said and done I'm just glad we sit ON a toilet @Seth
(DIR) Post #AWtmcXG4oores2wS24 by 14mission@sfba.social
2023-06-21T00:03:50Z
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@grammargirl @Seth Yeah, the generalization seems to be logically backwards, but it feels like if you can move around in a vehicle, you say you're on it. Vehicles where you take a seat and can't move, you say you're in. Except for small things like bikes and snowmobiles, those you also say "on" for (or a horse!), but that seems more literally correct. I think the vehicles that you say you're "on" are things that you historically had to go up some steps or a ramp to get on, like planes, ships, and trains, so you're "on" an elevated platform of sorts.I have a PhD in linguistics, but I'm still just talking out my ass here.
(DIR) Post #AWtqNDzEaUfAZd1DFY by weirdwriter@tweesecake.social
2023-06-21T00:45:53Z
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@grammargirl @Seth Haven’t read the thread yet, but usually, you say in a vehicle when it’s a very small or personal vehicle and you say on when it’s more of a public kind of vehicle like a bus or train
(DIR) Post #AWtqnKNzPxqtwx2pTE by ccount@lor.sh
2023-06-21T00:50:34Z
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@grammargirl @Seth "in" trouble, "on" purpose
(DIR) Post #AWtt914q5WmgLMYaDQ by Seth@writing.exchange
2023-06-21T01:16:56Z
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@grammargirl Thanks @grammargirl and all of you guys. You’re the best. Somehow, when I read that we should use “in” when it’s a car, I thought, “Leave the gun. Take the canolli.” Strange. No. Not the doctor.