MSGID: 1:153/716.0 fbc56223   
   REPLY: 2:221/6.0 5fa9252c   
   CHRS: IBMPC 2   
   Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:   
      
    AK>  For instance, where to keep your money safer -- in bank   
    AH>  | in a bank or in the bank   
      
    AK>  It's interesting why "on board" is written without article?   
    AK>  So you can do it if you want very much. ;)   
      
      
              Yes, we spoke earlier of how e.g. some people say "in hospital" and   
   others say "in the hospital".  At first I thought the difference might have to   
   do with where they grew up... but since you brought the matter to my attention   
   I've noticed some of the same people (including Dallas & me) using both.  :-))   
      
      
      
    AK>  or at home?   
    AK>  In bank your money are eaten by inflation,   
    AH>  | your money is [blah blah].  Dollars, Euros, rubles etc.   
    AH>  are countable... the word "money" isn't.   
      
    AK>  Is it the same in American and British English?   
      
      
              According to my Canadian dictionaries, "money" can be pluralized if   
   you have in your possession substantial amounts from different countries or if   
   you're treasurer of an organization which has various sources of income... but   
   While that would justify using "are" a few francs left over from your business   
   trip to Grenoble probably wouldn't count in most people's eyes.  And AFAIK the   
   situation is much the same in both US & UK English.  I'd welcome comments from   
   other readers, however, because I'm always open to further input....  :-)   
      
      
      
    AK>  It seems to me in British English, for instance, "the   
    AK>  police" is plural, and in American English, is single.   
    AK>  Also IMHO "the government".   
      
      
              Although that rings a bell in the back of my mind, I would hesitate   
   to make a rule about it unless I've heard a gazillion examples and/or FOWLER'S   
   says so.  I regard "police" & "government" as collective nouns because in both   
   cases we're speaking of a group of individuals.  From a grammatical standpoint   
   we can treat the group as a unit (singular) or as xxx people (plural), and the   
   choice we make depends on the context & on which we want to emphasize....  :-)   
      
      
      
    AK>  IMHO government compensates you only if a bank went bankrupt.   
      
      
              That's my understanding too.   
      
      
      
    AK>  But there can be situation with a high inflation and low deposit   
    AK>  interest. You lose your money slowly and perfectly lawfully. ;-)   
      
      
              Yes.  But if you hide it under the mattress its original value will   
   still be eaten up by inflation... that's what I was thinking of.   
      
      
      
    AK>  I remember my purse had been stolen in France, in Grenoble,   
    AK>  when I was there on my business trip to the 0local Atomic   
    AK>  center. I forgot it in my room, and when I went back the   
    AK>  window was opened and the purse had disappeared. I suspected   
    AK>  then an employee of the hotel. After that I took my   
    AK>  handkerchief and sewed a little bag from it with a lace and   
    AK>  wore it on my neck.   
      
      
              IOW you made a drawstring bag.  Very creative....  :-)   
      
              A backpack... with my purse in it... was stolen in Los Angeles.  We   
   didn't realize until after the fact that our rental car came with a sticker in   
   one of the back windows which made it fairly obvious we were tourists.  At the   
   hotels there were signs advising us to lock valuables in the trunk, as we did.   
   That's what I'd have done at home... where I had an old car with a lot of rust   
   around the wheel wells etc. and coveted the bumper sticker saying "Don't laugh   
   -- it's paid for!"  Nobody tried to steal anything from *that* car, although I   
   drove it to a few less than salubrious parts of Vancouver.  I reckon it looked   
   to passers-by as if the driver didn't own anything worth stealing.  With these   
   older vehicles it was also far more difficult to get into the trunk than it is   
   with modern cars... which at the time I knew very little about.   
      
              Fortunately, I had my keys in my pocket & Dallas had my passport in   
   his pocket.  Nowadays I wear garments with several pockets if I can find them.   
   It's not easy to find female garments like that.  But apparently it is easy to   
   steal handbags, shoulder bags, and backpacks if one is so inclined.... (sigh).   
      
      
      
      
   --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+   
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