Coat check

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My2sense  #174916  Tue, 27 Dec 05 11:15 AM



  They use "cloak room" with a space at   http://www.courts.state.ny.us/ctapps/counsguide.htm
 
"A cloak room is located behind the Attorneys’ Library, next to the elevator."

This is but another meaning of cloakroom/ cloak room-  a room adjacent to a legislative chamber or legislative room, where legislators may leave their coats, relax, or engage in informal conversation



[ "coat check" implies the presence of an attendant ]

Where does it say this?   It doesn't say this but implies it.  A coat could be left in the coat check that has no attendant however, for the most part, it is common for this room to be attended by someone.

 

  
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Wwwdotcom  #174949  Tue, 27 Dec 05 01:01 PM
"This is but another meaning of cloakroom/ cloak room"

Are you saying the 2 words are different from one another, if so how?
Are you saying the 2 words mean the same, and this is a second meaning of both? If so, how is the second meaning different from the first?

PLEASE, same person reply, not a new one each time ROFL, sounds like I am talking to a team instead of one person.  I am trying to understand one person's reasoning and when they leave out one detail like the difference here, and then it goes on to another tangent, nothing gets accomplished.  So, either respond with what the difference is or please don't respond.

"Where does it say this?   It doesn't say this but implies it.  A coat could be left in the coat check that has no attendant however, for the most part, it is common for this room to be attended by someone."

In that case:

A restaurant implies there is a cook, then what?
A library implies there is a librarian, then what?
A hotel implies there is a hotel clerk, then what?

What is the significance in noting that a "Coat Check" will have an attendant then?  I don't quite understand why the person who initially noted this characteristic made a mention of it.
  
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My2sense  #174952  Tue, 27 Dec 05 01:25 PM

 Wwwdotcom wrote:
"This is but another meaning of cloakroom/ cloak room"

Are you saying the 2 words are different from one another, if so how?
Are you saying the 2 words mean the same, and this is a second meaning of both? If so, how is the second meaning different from the first?

PLEASE, same person reply, not a new one each time ROFL, sounds like I am talking to a team instead of one person.  I am trying to understand one person's reasoning and when they leave out one detail like the difference here, and then it goes on to another tangent, nothing gets accomplished.  So, either respond with what the difference is or please don't respond.

"Where does it say this?   It doesn't say this but implies it.  A coat could be left in the coat check that has no attendant however, for the most part, it is common for this room to be attended by someone."

In that case: Your reasoning makes no sense.

A restaurant implies there is a cook, then what?
A library implies there is a librarian, then what?
A hotel implies there is a hotel clerk, then what?

What is the significance in noting that a "Coat Check" will have an attendant then?  Because that is the way it normally is. When you go to the theater - as an example- there usually is an attendant to take your coat.

  I don't quite understand why the person who initially noted this characteristic made a mention of it.

  
Woodward  #174960  Tue, 27 Dec 05 02:03 PM

 Wwwdotcom wrote:


PLEASE, same person reply, not a new one each time ROFL, sounds like I am talking to a team instead of one person.  I am trying to understand one person's reasoning and when they leave out one detail like the difference here, and then it goes on to another tangent, nothing gets accomplished.  So, either respond with what the difference is or please don't respond.

That's because EnglishForums.com IS a team.

If you would like personalized answers, you can always get a private teacher. Remember that this is a FREE site and we will help you how we can.

  
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khoff  #175174  Tue, 27 Dec 05 06:32 PM

"Why are you asking for other words if you don't want to use them?"

I didn't want to influence your feedback by mentioning words I had thought of to answer my own question.
 

Okay, thanks for explaining that - now I understand.

My2Sense has pretty much answered your other two questions about my post -- it probably doesn't "say" anywhere that "cloakroom" is old-fashioned or that "coat check" implies the presence of an attendant.  I'm just telling you the associations the words have for me (and, I think, most speakers of American English.  Others will correct me if I'm wrong about that.)  Words often have implications or nuances that are not contained in their formal definitions --  you can sometimes learn more about how a word is actually used by consulting people who speak the language than by consulting reference books.  (That's why EnglishForums is so useful!)

  
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khoff  #175197  Tue, 27 Dec 05 06:49 PM

What is the significance in noting that a "Coat Check" will have an attendant then?  I don't quite understand why the person who initially noted this characteristic made a mention of it.

I think I was the person who originally mentioned this.  I mentioned it only to show that, while you could leave your coat in a "coat room" or "closet", these terms are not exactly interchangeable "coat check" if the presence of an attendant is important to you.  ("Cloak room" might or might not have an attendant - I don't hear this expression much, so I don't know how it is usually used.)   Here's an example where the difference matters:

"I'd like to check my coat."

"Oh, there's no coat check, but you could hang your coat in that closet over there."

"No coat check?  Well, in that case I'll keep it with me.  I wouldn't want anyone to take it by mistake."

PLEASE, same person reply, not a new one each time ROFL, sounds like I am talking to a team instead of one person.  I am trying to understand one person's reasoning and when they leave out one detail like the difference here, and then it goes on to another tangent, nothing gets accomplished.  So, either respond with what the difference is or please don't respond.

When you want a specific person to respond, it usually helps to put their name at the beginning of your post.  I'm sorry it's frustrating (I imagine it's the way we feel when there are several "anonymous" posts in one thread and we can't tell how many different people it is) but it's just the nature of this forum that various people respond and the topic sometimes digresses. Of course, you can always ask, as you did here, for a specific reponse from a specific person.  (But I guess it didn't work, since I'm not the person you were asking).

 

  
Wwwdotcom  #175200  Tue, 27 Dec 05 06:50 PM
khoff,

I was thinking it might be an American English thing to seperate words that might be read as one in British English.

http://www.bl.uk/services/reading/cloakroom.html

They use cloakroom as one word without the space.
  
nona the brit  #175458  Wed, 28 Dec 05 10:06 AM

Hi

Hope you have no violent objections to yet another opinion.

In British English 'coat check' is not used. We use cloakroom or cloak room. I don't think anyone cares whether you spell it with a space or not, but probably without is more common. There may or may not be an attendent. We say 'I'm just going to put/stick my coat in the cloakroom.'

  
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Wwwdotcom  #175494  Wed, 28 Dec 05 01:03 PM
nona the brit,

Thanks for commenting.

"In British English 'coat check' is not used." I didn't know this, but I am not surprised.

"I don't think anyone cares whether you spell it with a space or not, but probably without is more common."

The reason why I brought this up was because I have read where a hyphen is used more in British English than American English, where words are more often seen spaced out.

"We say 'I'm just going to put/stick my coat in the cloakroom.'"

That sounds more like a situation where there is no attendant present.  How would you word it in British English if you knew for a fact there was an attendant?
  
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