You short-changed me!?

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At a grocery store, the cashier gives me a change of five dollars instead of six. Which is best to say? A. This is the wrong change. B. This is a wrong change. C. This change is wrong. D. You gave me the wrong change. E. Your change is short. F. You short-changed me. G. None of the above

Full Member325

Clive:

Hi,

First, what do you think?

Hint: If you tell me that I short-changed you, you are accusing me of dishonesty.

Clive

Veteran Member61,689

lagataw:

I'm not....so it's not F.

Clive:

Hi,

At a grocery store, the cashier gives me a change of five dollars instead of six. Which is best to say?

A. This is the wrong change. OK

B. This is a wrong change. No. 'Change' is an uncountable noun here.

C. This change is wrong. OK

D. You gave me the wrong change. OK

E. Your change is short. No

F. You short-changed me. No

I prefer A. But we often begin by saying, 'Sorry, . . . ' This makes clear to the cashier that we are not accusing him/her of deliberately giving us the wrong change.

G. None of the above

Clive

INFOLINKS_OFF>

lagataw:

Thank you.

lucys:

I disagree with Clive on choice F.

You could say, "You short-changed me," but you would accuse the cashier of doing something wrong on purpose, and might start a fight.

New Member19

lucys:

This post is in response to choice E, "Your change is short."

It is not the cashier's change that is short; it is the customer's property.

Therefore, the customer could say, "My change is short." because it is the customer's change.

lagataw:

This is interesting...because I was, in fact, going to put "My change is short" among the choices. Thanks for the idea.

Clive:

Hi,

When I said 'No', I meant it was not a good answer to choose for the question. I didn't necessarily mean the grammar was incorrect.

Where I live, I never hear 'My change is short'.

What I hear is

eg Sorry, you didn't give me enough / the right change.

Clive

You short-changed me!?

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