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Cool Breeze Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
"Fasten seat belt while seated"
I have no problem understanding what is meant by the above exhortation. I am just curious as to whether native speakers find it odd or perhaps even incorrect. The obvious idea is that passengers are advised to keep their seat belts buckled up whenever they sit in their seats.
However, my dictionaries don't credit fasten as a transitive verb with such a meaning. Supposedly fasten only has meanings that denote the act of fastening something, not the state.To my ear, which has been tarnished by studying too many foreign languages and the ever-present influence of my native language, the sentence seems to imply that passengers are requested to spend the entire duration of being seated in the process of fastening their seat belts.
Fastening the belt can thus take hours!
I don't mind if anyone disagrees with me, but to me this is just another trivial example of the inexactness of English. I wonder if anybody agrees with me?
Cheers, CB
However, my dictionaries don't credit fasten as a transitive verb with such a meaning. Supposedly fasten only has meanings that denote the act of fastening something, not the state.To my ear, which has been tarnished by studying too many foreign languages and the ever-present influence of my native language, the sentence seems to imply that passengers are requested to spend the entire duration of being seated in the process of fastening their seat belts.
Fastening the belt can thus take hours!I don't mind if anyone disagrees with me, but to me this is just another trivial example of the inexactness of English. I wonder if anybody agrees with me?
Cheers, CB
Top answer
I agree, CB-- and it doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, I doubt I have often thought twice about this sort of thing when I see it in situ. Greengrocer English is all too common a phenomenon.
- I agree, CB-- and it doesn't bother me a bit.
- In fact, I doubt I have often thought twice about this sort of thing when I see it in situ.
- Greengrocer English is all too common a phenomenon.
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10 Answers
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I agree, CB-- and it doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, I doubt I have often thought twice about this sort of thing when I see it in situ. Greengrocer English is all too common a phenomenon.
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I agree, CB-- and it doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, I doubt I have often thought twice about this sort of thing when I see it in situ. Greengrocer English is all too common a phenomenon.
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It's weird. Do they really say that? I thought the standard airline formula was "Keep your seat belt fastened while seated".
CJ
CJ
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Hi,
Let's not even start on the possible ambiguity of 'Please take your seat'.
Clive
Let's not even start on the possible ambiguity of 'Please take your seat'.
Clive
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CalifJim It's weird. Do they really say that? I thought the standard airline formula was "Keep your seat belt fastened while seated".
It's the text you see in front of you when you sit down. It's short so it doesn't take up a lot of space. I first wondered about it when flew for the first time in my life after graduating from school. I was going to Gatwick Airp
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Cool Breeze but to me this is just another trivial example of the inexactness of English. I wonder if anybody agrees with me?I agree that the statement is poorly stated. It isn't really one of the [many] examples of the inexactness of English. Rather it is a great example of the [even many more] examples of the inexactness of people using Eng
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PhilipI'm sure that they mean when the room isn't in use, but that isn't what is said.Yes. And when we close the door, aren't we really closing the room? Because if not, then we should not say that we open the envelope, but that we open the flap of the envelope, not that we open the bottle, but that we open the cap of the bottle.
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CalifJimAnd when we close the door, aren't we really closing the room? Because if not, then we should not say that we open the envelope, but that we open the flap of the envelope, not that we open the bottle, but that we open the cap of the bottle.Perhaps because a room can have many doors but an envelope has only one flap. When you close *a* door, the room
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I also agree! I can't believe I found a posting about this on the internet. I always found the sign very strange. But I see it in a slightly different way, the focus being "while seated". I keep asking myself why this part is in the sentence at all... we can't fasten our seatbelt while we are standing up!
The message should simply say "keep your seatbelt fastened while seated"
The message should simply say "keep your seatbelt fastened while seated"
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You can not open the cap of the bottle ClifJim. You can only wring the cap to open the bottle and the envelope as well.
That is fine when you say you open the bottle. It is not similar to what Philip wonder of.
Anonymous
That is fine when you say you open the bottle. It is not similar to what Philip wonder of.
Anonymous
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