"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message
...

"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Trevor Wilson" wrote

**As can be seen from the dictionary definitions I have already
supplied, the two terms are interchangable.


That was my point. *IF* the two terms are interchangeable you introduce
an unnecessary element of ambiguity. In England the two terms have clear,
distinct meanings, I see no point in muddling them up.

**I supplied an Oxford English Dictionary definition, for those who regard
such a tome as the ultimate reference.


The OED wants to list all the usages as they hear of. Just because a meaning
is included it doesn't mean that it's commonly used.

Put it like this, in over 40 years of repairing things and servicing things,
and getting other people to repair or service things for me, I had never,
before this thread started, come across *anybody* using the word "service"
when they actually meant "repair". It's also clear from the response to this
thread that all the UK residents agree with me, and it's only the Yanks and
Aussies who don't.

The word "service" has a huge raft of meanings, it doesn't need another.
Whilst to the best of my knowledge "repair" only has two: apart from the
common meaning of "to mend" the only other I know is the rarely used meaning
of "to go somewhere" as in "after the meeting we could all repair to the pub
for a pint". It seems to me to be daft to load "service" with yet another
meaning when "repair" is there and avaliable to be used.

David.

"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message
...

"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Trevor Wilson" wrote

**As can be seen from the dictionary definitions I have already
supplied, the two terms are interchangable.


That was my point. *IF* the two terms are interchangeable you introduce
an unnecessary element of ambiguity. In England the two terms have
clear, distinct meanings, I see no point in muddling them up.

**I supplied an Oxford English Dictionary definition, for those who
regard such a tome as the ultimate reference.


The OED wants to list all the usages as they hear of. Just because a
meaning is included it doesn't mean that it's commonly used.

Put it like this, in over 40 years of repairing things and servicing
things, and getting other people to repair or service things for me, I had
never, before this thread started, come across *anybody* using the word
"service" when they actually meant "repair". It's also clear from the
response to this thread that all the UK residents agree with me, and it's
only the Yanks and Aussies who don't.

The word "service" has a huge raft of meanings, it doesn't need another.
Whilst to the best of my knowledge "repair" only has two: apart from the
common meaning of "to mend" the only other I know is the rarely used
meaning of "to go somewhere" as in "after the meeting we could all repair
to the pub for a pint". It seems to me to be daft to load "service" with
yet another meaning when "repair" is there and avaliable to be used.


Hmm. Interesting. I have just asked my Swedish colleague if he
can diffeerentiate between "service" and "repair" in English. He
looked at me as if I were mad, and said "Surely the two are
totally different things? You repair something that is broken,
but service something as a part of routine scheduled maintenance"

He gave "car service" and "crash repair" as good examples to
illustrate that he reconginsed the difference.

This is absolutely correct IMO

Interesting that a Swedish person has a better command
of English than the American and Oz posters on this group.
He is the same chap who commented to me, not long ago,
"If I were and Englishman, I would be greatly offended
by the way the Americans have debased and corrupted
your language.

Iain

Trevor Wilson wrote:
"Eiron" wrote in message
...
David Looser wrote:
"Don Pearce" wrote
And as for the "we saved you" nonsense, no, that won't do at all.
That's part of the "American myth", the idea that the USA was the cavalry
rushing in to save Europe from the Nazis. It is, of course, bunkum.

The
USA joined both wars on its own terms, and for its own reasons.
"Saving" us was not one of them.
To be fair I think it was *one* of them. But principally the USA joined
WW2 (almost 2 years late!) because it was, itself, under attack.
And finally, it is Australian usage, not American that is under
discussion here.

Maybe the Americans also say "service" when they mean "repair"? Come to
that what's wrong with the good old-fashioned word "mend"?
The OED says that 'service' in this context is an American term.

**Not according to the Oxford English Dictionary:

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/service?view=uk

Nor the (Australian) Macquarie Dictionary (not available free on line).

So Arny should have the last word on the subject.

**Or you could understand the correct usage of the term 'service' in the
context implied in all the dictionary definitions supplied to you.

From the *real* version of the Oxford English Dictionary:

"2. To perform routine maintenance or repair work on (a motor vehicle or
other piece of equipment). orig. U.S.
1926 Amer. Speech II. 112/2 The automobile dealer says: ‘Run the new car
five hundred miles at twenty or less an hour, then have it thoroughly
serviced with grease and oil.’ 1930 Bookman Dec. 398 Probably the
greatest cost in Television will be that expended for servicing the
equipment. 1935 A. P. HERBERT in Punch 27 Feb. 236/1, I denounce,
Comrades, the foul new verb ‘to service’, an invention, I believe, of
someone in the motor-trade. 1949 ‘G. ORWELL’ Nineteen Eighty-Four II.
131 She enjoyed her work, which consisted chiefly in running and
servicing a powerful but tricky electric motor. 1958 Listener 23 Oct.
655/2 Vehicles{em}whether moving, parked, unloading or being
serviced{em}have already taken charge of the present ground level. 1978
R. LEWIS Uncertain Sound vi. 154 Your car was serviced on the Thursday."

--
Eiron.

"Iain Churches" wrote in message
news
Hmm. Interesting. I have just asked my Swedish colleague if he
can diffeerentiate between "service" and "repair" in English. He
looked at me as if I were mad, and said "Surely the two are
totally different things? You repair something that is broken,
but service something as a part of routine scheduled maintenance"
He gave "car service" and "crash repair" as good examples to
illustrate that he reconginsed the difference.
This is absolutely correct IMO

Well at least they teach English in Sweden then.
My French friend, a translator, has impeccable English but I once heard her
use the word 'gotten'! I was disgusted and put her straight.

In article ,
Iain Churches wrote:
Hmm. Interesting. I have just asked my Swedish colleague if he
can diffeerentiate between "service" and "repair" in English. He
looked at me as if I were mad, and said "Surely the two are
totally different things? You repair something that is broken,
but service something as a part of routine scheduled maintenance"

He gave "car service" and "crash repair" as good examples to
illustrate that he reconginsed the difference.

This is absolutely correct IMO

Interesting that a Swedish person has a better command
of English than the American and Oz posters on this group.
He is the same chap who commented to me, not long ago,
"If I were and Englishman, I would be greatly offended
by the way the Americans have debased and corrupted
your language.

Think it's sometimes used as adspeak. 'For sale - Bloggs amplifier,
recently serviced by makers'

Sounds so much better than repaired.

--
*Always drink upstream from the herd *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"David Looser" wrote in message
...
To be fair I think it was *one* of them. But principally the USA joined
WW2 (almost 2 years late!) because it was, itself, under attack.

That and the fact that after plenty of rejected pleas to America by
Churchill, he finally, on the third of July 1940, committed the treacherous
war crime of blowing up his own allies. This proved to America that Britain
had enough back bone not to give in to the Germans, so they offered their
help.
Even though the French government had pretty much surrendered to the
Germans, the French Navy had no intentions to do so, but as they didn't pass
their fleet over to British control, Churchill blew them up.

And we wonder why a lot of French are not to keen on the British.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Think it's sometimes used as adspeak. 'For sale - Bloggs amplifier,
recently serviced by makers'

This is the correct usage though.
My Naim amps work fine at the moment but could probably do with a service
(re-cap etc.) to bring them back to their best.

QED

Edit : 'too'

In article ,
David wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Think it's sometimes used as adspeak. 'For sale - Bloggs amplifier,
recently serviced by makers'

This is the correct usage though. My Naim amps work fine at the moment
but could probably do with a service (re-cap etc.) to bring them back
to their best.

I'd call that a repair.

--
*Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.