Told today

From: Nigel Greenwood (ndsg_mmii_at_yahoo.co.uk)
Date: 08/27/04 

Date: 27 Aug 2004 04:44:20 -0700

Non-native speakers of English quite often find it difficult to
distinguish correctly between "said" & "told". The BBC may be doing
its bit to add to the confusion.

On several occasions I've heard a BBC Radio 4 announcer say something
like "The Prime Minister told today that ..." -- & it takes some
background knowledge to realize that the sentence is really "The Prime
Minister told 'Today' that ...", referring to the "Today" programme,
which is broadcast every morning from 6:00 to 9:00.

Nigel

ScriptMaster language resources (Persian/Turkish/Modern & Classical
Greek/Russian/Romanian/Esperanto/IPA):
http://www.elgin.free-online.co.uk

New! EsperScript:
http://www.elgin.free-online.co.uk/esperanto.htm

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Big Brother BrE
    ... hooked, not least because of the way the inmates speak BrE, innit. ... More than a dozen ancient local accents and dialects ... RSP or "BBC English," maintained by a special committe ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Big Brother BrE
    ... hooked, not least because of the way the inmates speak BrE, innit. ... More than a dozen ancient local accents and dialects ... RSP or "BBC English," maintained by a special committe ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Anti-white at the bbc, true?
    ... The BBC isn't just anti-white, ... Except that the English make up 80% of Britain. ... Culture, the Celts? ... things, Aix is pronounced 'ex'. ...
    (uk.politics.misc)
  • Re: James May on Best of Top Gear, Sunday 5 March
    ... The English in the main are at ease with being English. ... The BBC has standards. ... Just calmly look at the tape. ... Replace the ginger kid with a Jew, and the word ging-er with kike. ...
    (uk.media.tv.misc)
  • Re: "Upper Class" & "Non-Upper Class" English + "Received Pronunciation"
    ... Received Pronunciation is a form of pronunciation of the English ... traditionally used by the BBC, yet nowadays these notions are slightly ... accent, nor is "Oxbridge". ...
    (alt.usage.english)