Coat check

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nona the brit  #175534  Wed, 28 Dec 05 03:31 PM
Makes no difference whether there is an attendant or not. We might also say (in both cases) I'm going to leave my coat in the cloakroom.
  
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MrPedantic  #175772  Wed, 28 Dec 05 11:02 PM

 Wwwdotcom wrote:

I have 1 question and 1 request.

Question:

"Coat check is available on the basement level...."  What is the function of "coat check" in this part of the sentence? 

"Coat check" seems to name a place and a facility, in this sentence. It seems to function (locally) as a proper noun.

Cf. "room service"; or the names of departments in a company. It seems to me that such terms are always candidates for initial capitalisation.

MrP

  
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Wwwdotcom  #175953  Thu, 29 Dec 05 08:32 AM
MrPedantic,

Ok, that brings up 2 new issues. 

I see a mix of coat and Coat, and it's not C just because it starts the sentence.  Also, both are capitalized.

http://www.asianart.org/tipsforvisiting.htm
http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/visit/faq.html

Maybe, there is no set rule yet.

The only similarity I see in "coat check" with "room service" is that they are made up of 2 words.

http://marriott.com/property/mapAndNearbyAirports.mi?marshaCode=SANMV

They have "Room Service" but not "coat check".  Can you elaborate on why you use "room service" or are you trying to contrast the two in some way?
  
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MrPedantic  #176250  Thu, 29 Dec 05 11:13 PM

Well, I may be tending towards the obscure here; but it seems to me that in hotels, offices, and other places with public access, certain ordinary phrases acquire local "proper noun" status.

In a hotel, for instance, the phrase "room service" functions as a proper noun; as does "sales & marketing" in a business; or "left luggage" at a railway station.

By which I mean that in those particular contexts, you can say "I'll have a word with Room Service", or "have you spoken to Sales & Marketing", etc.

Similarly, the Notting Hill carnival in London is referred to as "Carnival" by local people, rather than "the carnival".

These phrases often take initial capitals: thus "room service" may be presented as Room Service in the little folder about the hotel on the table by your bed.

It seems to me that "Coat Check" is a member of that happy band.

MrP

  
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