Why use one word, when...?

We British English speakers love to use words. We do. And in my opinion, we're right to do so. I mean, they're free! You don't have to pay tax on them, or count them as you use them. They're not a finite resource like the world's oil supply, and they don't leave an environmentally damaging imprint. Lovely, lovely free words! Why not use as many of them as you like?

It does mean, though, that when you first arrive in America, everyone sounds as if they're being just a little discourteous. Their language doesn't have that lovely British floweriness, that makes us seem so ultra polite. Where I would say "Oh, thank you very much indeed, that's so kind of you", they would say "thanks".

You get used to it after a while, but at first, I did notice it all the time. So much so, that when I overheard a conversation in the changing room of the local swimming pool, I wrote it down. It went like this:

A: Are you swimming?

B: I did.

A: Oh, you swam already.

Doesn't that sound odd to British ears? Now, in a British changing room, the same conversation would have used so many more words to convey the same information. It would have gone something like this:

A: Are you here for a swim?  

B: Actually, I've just finished. 

A: Oh, you mean you've already been swimming. 

See what I mean? American brevity is so efficient, but I like the way we do it over here. Now I'm back in the UK, I still notice our over-use of words. Not so much in conversation - that just seems normal. But in public signs and information.

On the London Underground, for example, a recorded announcement tells you to "Stand clear of the closing doors".

But why bother with the word "closing"? For a start, all the doors are closing at that point. It's not as if you have to look at the doors you're standing next to, and assess whether or not they are the closing doors referred to. You don't turn to your neighbour and say "We're ok. These doors aren't closing. We don't have to stand clear.".  I'm guessing that a committee in Transport For London came up with the idea of combining the two ideas (the doors are closing, and you need to stand clear of them) in one short phrase, and probably felt rather clever. But I bet you that in America, the recorded message would say simply "Stand clear of the doors", because that would do the job.

I saw a sign today, on a gate to a construction site, that read " Before attempting any reversing manoeuvre, drivers must use a banksman". "Attempting any reversing manoeuvre"? Couldn't you just say "reversing"?

Supermarkets provide rich pickings for the spotter of over-wordy signs. All those ones that begin "We regret to inform customers that...". I'm sure Wal-Mart would be satisfied with "Sorry." They probaby wouldn't even bother with that. 

Once you start the game of spotting over-wordage in signs, I'm afraid it's rather hard to stop. If you see any examples of redundant words in signs in the next few days, do share them.

And if you like chocolate, keep an eye on my blog for a fab giveaway coming up soon.

.