Do you wait ‘on line’ or ‘in line’?

Wait line up much more common than waiting online, which is a phrase that is largely local to the New York City area. Both convey the same meaning.

people queuing at the airport

Small and meaningless variations in the word are often taken as examples of a person’s education level, geographic location, or in some cases, a person’s overall level of trustworthiness. An example of this can be found in the way that the Internet seems to be divided between those who say “online” (rather than “in line”) and those who are angry with such people.

The line in question is a question we define as โ€œthe arrangement or arrangement of people or things of some kind in an orderly sequence,โ€ and it doesn’t really matter whether you stand or not. . IN it or ABOVE It. Over the past several decades (at least since 1962, when Margaret Bryant presented the topic in Modern American usage) online was considered special to New York City (and the Hudson Valley).

Standing in lineโ€”or โ€œonlineโ€ as New Yorkers say itโ€”is a traumatic experience for most Americans.โ€” Karen DeWitt, washington articlesJuly 23, 1977

If more than one person responds, all others will have to line up (or โ€œonlineโ€ in New York).โ€” William Safire, New York TimesApril 26, 1981

On the corner of Carroll and Cordova streets on the set of the Showtime drama When A Stranger Calls Back the day before, I noticed Charles Durning (Evening Shade) standing in line (or in line, as they say in New York) at the service truck to pick up his lunch.โ€” Lynne McNamara, conscious (Vancouver, BC), November 6, 1992

The use of online This is of course not limited to a small area on the East Coast, and many examples of widespread use can be found from the early 20th century.

Old people and mothers give up endless waiting lines for enough bread to sustain their bodies and souls and would rather starve slowly than be sent home empty-handed after hours of vigil. โ€” Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, TX) March 25, 1917

This request is made to avoid disappointment as well as to provide comfort when not jostling in large crowds and waiting in long queues at the yard.โ€” Evening News (San Jose, CA), May 29, 1917

Stand (or wait) line up still a lot more popular than online. And while online may account for a small percentage of usage (outside the New York area), it should not be taken as evidence of a lack of ethics, education, or grammatical standards.

See more:  What is a Preposition?

Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn

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