[Samurai]

Every once in a while I get a marriage invitation, instead of a wedding invitation. But I really don't have that kind of free time.

[Guite]

If your gracious (would be) hosts have invited you to partake of the initial bliss of their marriage, or part thereof, would it not be rude to decline the offer?

[Sam Kapasi]

For a wedding you only have to pay with money, for a marriage you have to pay with your life.

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

The nice thing about weddings is that they last a day, while marriages last an eternity!

Not all marriages last for an eternity (even though it may feel like it sometimes) and especially not these days.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

I do not think anyways is an Indianism. Anyways is said in many countires and while I think it isn't entirely classic or correct, it's not entirely wrong either.

I think it is the Yanks who use 'anyways' extensively. They have screwed up English 'any which way you can'.

[anupmathur]

The average dog is a much better person than the average person.

What a wonderful sentence! It conveys the sentiment perfectly, but is it correct usage, correct English?

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Every once in a while I get a marriage invitation, instead of a wedding invitation. But I really don't have that kind of free time.

Here's meaning of marriage taken from Dictionary.com.

1. the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.
2. the state, condition, or relationship of being married; wedlock: a happy marriage.

3. the legal or religious ceremony that formalizes the decision of a man and woman to live as husband and wife, including the accompanying social festivities: to officiate at a marriage.

from www.thesaurus.reference.com

Marriage -


Synonyms: alliance, amalgamation, association, confederation, conjugality, connubiality, consortium, coupling, espousal, holy matrimony, link, match, mating, matrimony, merger, monogamy, nuptials, pledging, sacrament, spousal, tie, tie that binds, wedded bliss, wedded state, wedding, wedding bells, wedding ceremony, wedlock

It may not be a sophisticated usage to mention it as 'marriage invitation', but as i understand, i don't think it is not entirely wrong either.

Gurus, please clarify.

[nitrous]

So, a bunch of you are studying the mistakes in a statement of a double oscar winner. Jeez!
Sam, Come to the ICE section. We need your presence there.
*hope I haven't made a grammatical mistake in this post*

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

i don't think it is not entirely wrong either.

Gurus, please clarify.

The above quote is one more example of our shaky control over the English language.

The Thesaurus gives us similar words which may convey a similar sense, but not the exact meaning. As pointed out by you, the word "marriage" may well mean a "wedding" too, but usually if it has a qualifying word "ceremony" following it. So you are not invited into my marriage, but are most welcome to partake of the celebrations during my daughter's marriage ceremony, a.k.a. my daughter's wedding.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by nitrous

So, a bunch of you are studying the mistakes in a statement of a double oscar winner. Jeez!
Sam, Come to the ICE section. We need your presence there.
*hope I haven't made a grammatical mistake in this post*

One is immediately obvious, LOL!
Sam, come to the ICE section.

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

As pointed out by you, the word "marriage" may well mean a "wedding" too, but usually if it has a qualifying word "ceremony" following it. So you are not invited into my marriage, but are most welcome to partake of the celebrations during my daughter's marriage ceremony, a.k.a. my daughter's wedding.

Here's an example from the same site. "to officiate at a marriage.", there's no qualifying word preceding or following it.

If you read my earlier post, I didn't say that using marriage is apt in the given context. But it is not totally incorrect as it is made out to be in some of the earlier posts.

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

Here's an example from the same site. "to officiate at a marriage.", there's no qualifying word preceding or following it.

If you read my earlier post, I didn't say that using marriage is apt in the given context. But it is not totally incorrect as it is made out to be in some of the earlier posts.

Well marriage and a wedding are closely allied. Even in dictionary.c o m the primary meanings are different. The other meanings (numbered as 2, 3, etc.) give the other meanings - depending on context, that a word may take on.

I do not disagree with you @ krishna. It is not totally incorrect as you point out but, when one uses the words - the first meaning that comes into the mind of the listener is the primary meaning.

There is also something called usage and idiom. I could say "I drove a horse to office" to tell the listener that I came to office on a horse instead of in a car. The listener would be correct in thinking that I walked behind the animal prodding it along, all the way to the office. On the other hand if I said "I rode (a horse) to office", the listener would immediately know that I was mounted on the animal and that the animal did the walking for the two of us. Using a dictionary and thesaurus I could argue with my listener that "I drove a horse to office" is also correct. This would leave the listener .

The idea behind this thread is to point out how we, as non-native speakers of the English language, can speak it better, so that more people in the world can understand us clearly. As nitrous points out - our man won awards, his speech would have gone down as one of the best ever, but for the unfortunate choice of a single word. This choice of word (not incorrect as tifosi points out) left his listeners wondering what he was talking about and that moment was lost forever.

Cheers,

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

The idea behind this thread is to point out how we, as non-native speakers of the English language, can speak it better, so that more people in the world can understand us clearly.

Nothing demonstrates this better than the old 19th century book "English As She Is Spoke"!!
This book is a riot of unintended humour created by literal translations and idiomatic mistakes!

[abhilash_iv]

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

i don't think it is not entirely wrong either.

Gurus, please clarify.

You don't think it is not entirely wrong. Means you think it is entirely wrong.
Am I right Sam?

[vnabhi]

Folks, here's another example of commonly used English that is incorrect:-

1. 'I care two hoots for what he says'. (Correct usage is 'I don't care two hoots for what he says')
2. 'One of my friend lives in that house' ('One of my friends lives in that house' is the correct usage. I found this usage all-pervasive in Hyderabad)

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Folks, here's another example of commonly used English that is incorrect:-

1. 'I care two hoots for what he says'. (Correct usage is 'I don't care two hoots for what he says')
2. 'One of my friend lives in that house' ('One of my friends lives in that house' is the correct usage. I found this usage all-pervasive in Hyderabad)

Off the cuff:

1. I remember the expression as "care a hoot" - nothing about 2 or 3 of them!

2. Yes it would either be "A friend lives in that house" or "One of my friends lives in that house" or "A friend of mine lives in that house".

I think the " One of my friend" comes from "Mera ek dost".

When I hear "One of my friend......" my mind clicks to a n oblique meaning and reacts - Oh! You have only one friend. I love laughing at my own Pjs.

3. Here is another one "Sorry, my bad" instead of "Sorry, my mistake". This is very common. I cannot figure out where it comes from as 'mera galati', 'naa tappu', 'majha chuk', 'en tavuir' etc. also translate into 'my mistake'. Can someone shed some light on this?

Cheers,