As George Bernard Shaw observed, the U.S. and the U.K. are two countries
separated by a common language.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry Simpson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 11:49 AM
Subject: [USMA:30652] Re: metric signs
> >Of Stephen Gallagher
> >>The issue of metric sinage was tabled
> >>years before the
> >>"official" metric conversion deadline
> >
> >Note to our non-US participants:
> >to say that the issue of metric signage was
> >"tabled" means that it was dismissed or removed
> >from discussion.
> >
> >The reason I mention this is that in most
> >other English speaking countries, when an
> >issue is tabled it means the opposite from
> >the US definition. In other words, it means
> >that the topic is brought out to be discussed.
>
> Thanks for pointing out the US meaning, I am always keen to learn non-UK
> terms. With my native UK english, I would have understood 'tabled' to mean
> put on the agenda ("on the table") for discussion, as you suggested.
>
>
