Hospital or the hospital

[nq:1]Yesterday Tony Blair was in the hospital. All the US networks said that he was in THE hospital. The BBC ... the many minor differences in usage between British and American English - like "at the weekend" and "on the weekend".[/nq]
Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

[nq:2]Yesterday Tony Blair was in the hospital. All the US ... Blair was in hospital." Notice no "the." Why the difference?[/nq]
[nq:1]One of the many minor differences in usage between British and American English - like "at the weekend" and "on ... to the airport, and someone else rebuked him by telling him that there is more than one airport in Texas.[/nq]
The original usage is

The inimitable (Email Removed) stated one day
[nq:1]Yesterday Tony Blair was in the hospital. All the US networks said that he was in THE hospital. The BBC said, "Tony Blair was in hospital." Notice no "the." Why the difference?[/nq]
This particular difference illustrates one idiomatic difference between British and American English. There is no enlightening reason other than that the two

[nq:1]Yesterday Tony Blair was in the hospital. All the US networks said that he was in THE hospital. The BBC said, "Tony Blair was in hospital." Notice no "the." Why the difference?[/nq]
In BrE (and until your posting I assumed it was the same in AmE) hospital is one of a number of nouns that you use with or without an article depending on whether you're more interested in the institu

[nq:2]Yesterday Tony Blair was in the hospital. All the US ... Blair was in hospital." Notice no "the." Why the difference?[/nq]
[nq:1]In BrE (and until your posting I assumed it was the same in AmE) hospital is one of a number ... at university in Manchester... They got married in church... Church is also fine but you say 'the university' in AmE.[/nq]

On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 16:15:44 -0700, "Bill Bonde ( the oblique allusion in lieu of the frontal attack )" (Email Removed) posted the following:
[nq:2]She's at university in Manchester... They got married in church...[/nq]
[nq:1]Church is also fine but you say 'the university' in AmE.[/nq]
Although the more normal equivalent of "at university" is "in college" -- "at the university" refer

[nq:1]On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 16:15:44 -0700, "Bill Bonde ( the oblique allusion in lieu of the frontal attack )" (Email Removed) posted the following:[/nq]
[nq:2] Church is also fine but you say 'the university' in AmE.[/nq]
[nq:1]Although the more normal equivalent of "at university" is "in college" -- "at the university" refers to a specific university ... about the "at hospital" of BrE co

[nq:2]On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 16:15:44 -0700, "Bill Bonde ( ... than just the general "state" of being a college/university student.[/nq]
[nq:1]What about the "at hospital" of BrE compared to "at the hospital" in AmE? Don't Brits mean at a specific ... definitely is "in hospital" and often "to hospital" I can't recall ever having heard "at hospital", only "at the hospital".[/nq]
Regards, Eind

[nq:2] What about the "at hospital" of BrE compared to "at the hospital" in AmE? Don't Brits mean at a specific hospital?[/nq]
[nq:1]Which "at hospital" of BrE - whereas it definitely is "in hospital" and often "to hospital" I can't recall ever having heard "at hospital", only "at the hospital". Regards, Einde O'Callaghan[/nq]
As Einde says, it's *"in hospital", but *"at university". Furt

[nq:2] What about the "at hospital" of BrE compared to "at the hospital" in AmE? Don't Brits mean at a specific hospital?[/nq]
[nq:1]Which "at hospital" of BrE - whereas it definitely is "in hospital" and often "to hospital" I can't recall ever having heard "at hospital", only "at the hospital". Regards, Einde O'Callaghan[/nq]
Idiomatic use of prepositions, or even absence of them is fasc