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Anonymous Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

We call them the greenback

A: I heard the U.S. dollar bills have a nickname.
B: Yes, we call them the greenback.

This is a conversation I got on an English TV program and I was wondering if the is needed in the sentence? I think that 'Yes, we call them greenback' is just natural or is there a reason we should add the in the sentence, you think?

Thank you so much and take care.
  

Top answer

" "We call them the greenback" sounds like a foreigner's mistake or a confused native speaker. "We call them greenback" is no better. Was that Min-woo and Jessica?

— Enoon

  • " "We call them the greenback" sounds like a foreigner's mistake or a confused native speaker.
  • "We call them greenback" is no better.
  • Was that Min-woo and Jessica?
  • If so, she needs to touch base in the US to get her English back up to where it should be.
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3 Answers
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I would expect "We call them greenbacks." "We call them the greenback" sounds like a foreigner's mistake or a confused native speaker. "We call them greenback" is no better. Was that Min-woo and Jessica? If so, she needs to touch base in the US to get her English back up to where it should be.
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Thank you and I really really would like to know how you knew they were Min-woo and Jessica. Do you work for the English program or are you here in Korea or a Korean?
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My google-fu is strong, that's all. I have little to do with Korea in reality.

Jessica was born in the US and moved to Korea when she was 11. If she can say "We call them the greenback", then she has forgotten her English somewhat. To touch base means to communicate briefly or to reorient oneself. I don't see why you are having trouble with "to get her English back up to where it should b
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