Have the new orders come through?

Question

Hello,If orders come through, they are usually written orders, are they not?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Yes

Gene93 · Answer

This is just my opinion and I hope I won't anger you, Clive. Orders can come through, but other documents can do so as well, can't they? Cambridge Dictionary says "My visa still hasn't come through." Is its meaning very different from "I have not received my visa yet."?

Clive · Answer

I don't get angry when people offer a different opinion.

Is its meaning very different from "I have not received my visa yet."? No, but note that a visa is a written thing.

Also, note that the question involved the word 'usually'.

Clive

Gene93 · Answer

Yes, it is a written thing/document. However, can't receive be used in general? When someone gives something to me, I receive it. If it is a written document can't I use both? I do think that receive is more popular.

Clive · Answer

Yes, 'received' is fine, and more common.

But you just asked about the phrase 'orders came through', so that was what I wrote about.

Clive

Gene93 · Answer

Thank you, Clive <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Gene93 · Answer

Oh, can orders also be received, Clive? Have we received any new orders from HQ? Does it make sense? I realize that come through would probably sound better.

Clive · Answer

'received' is fine there, and more commonly used.

Gene93 · Answer

Received orders can be verbal, written,etc, yes? A few days ago a person from England told me that come through is most often used in collocation with a very specific group of people or very specific person. To him, orders that come through are not necessarily written (documented). If we were talking about a newspaper article, he would be more likely to say "The news has come out about...", but if we were talking about, let's say, a trip, we could say "Has any news come through about our visa application?" Is that the case in Canadian English?

Clive · Answer

It seems to me that every time you post in this thread, the focus and context of your question seems to change a little.
I'll try to respond to your latest post.

Received orders can be verbal, written,etc, yes? Yes

A few days ago a person from England told me that come through is most often used in collocation with a very specific group of people or very specific person. I don't know what he meant, Too bad he didn't offer an example.

To me, come through suggests 'through official channels, with some difficulty'. The simplest example is probably that of soldiers on a battle field.

To him, orders that come through are not necessarily written (documented). True

If we were talking about a newspaper article, he would be more likely to say "The news has come out about...", Yes

but if we were talking about, let's say, a trip, we could say "Has any news come through about our visa application?" Is that the case in Canadian English? You might say that, particularly if you have had some trouble getting information. But in most context s, you would probably simply say

eg Did we get any information about. .
eg Did anyone phone about.. ..
eg Did we hear anything about . . .

'Come through' is not a very common phrase. I don't remember the last time I heard it or read it.

Clive

Have the new orders come through?

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