cimorene: A woman sitting on a bench reading a book in front of a symmetrical opulent white-and-gold hotel room (studying)
Cimorene ([personal profile] cimorene) wrote2019-11-15 11:18 pm
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possibly this is just recency phenomenon in which case it's still just as annoying*

Is it just me or is "was sat" erroneously occurring in non-British fanfic narration on the rise over time?

*that is to say, very annoying, but not as annoying as "whilst"
twistedchick: watercolor painting of coffee cup on wood table (Default)

[personal profile] twistedchick 2019-11-15 09:25 pm (UTC)(link)
It sounds like one of those verb constructions that originated in Latin but modified over time. Or else, it has a specific use (similar to someone in a courtroom "taking the stand")
stranger: rose nebula on starfield (Default)

[personal profile] stranger 2019-11-15 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Have seen this (reading in the U.S.) only in specifically British contexts. Fandom being what it is, I wouldn't be astonished if the usage has spread beyond its source. Languages seem to slop about the internet a lot faster than by printed word, and things get re-used or repurposed.

stranger: rose nebula on starfield (Default)

[personal profile] stranger 2019-11-16 04:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Aha. I've read it only in Brit-authored, Brit-setting fanfic, and it seemed very much a British-only expression when I started seeing it in 2000 or so. Oh, so it's the British writers using in, say, American contexts like an Ohio graduating class "being sat in their chairs" or something. That's jarring, right.

Do you read it as a class marker? Somehow it doesn't seem to be in (British-authored) stories about Oxford-educated spies in St. James Park, but does show up in narratives about East Enders and the like. I'm not sure about this aspect, however.
Edited 2019-11-16 16:27 (UTC)
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[personal profile] copracat 2019-11-15 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Whilst. Don't talk to me about whilst.
pensnest: a woeful panda on a green field (Sad panda)

[personal profile] pensnest 2019-11-15 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Er. What's wrong with 'whilst'?
mrkinch: albatross soaring (Default)

[personal profile] mrkinch 2019-11-16 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
I thought it was just me going, what? and that it was one of many language shifts taking place while I wasn't noticing.
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[personal profile] krait 2019-11-16 04:55 am (UTC)(link)
I haven't noticed this one! But I've mostly been reading in older fandoms, so perhaps it's a newer thing.

My particular pet peeve lately is the "needs [verb]ed" for "needs to be [verb]ed" regionalism. Whatever region it's from, can they please come and take it back? It's clunky and makes me stumble over it every single time.
anatsuno: a women reads, skeptically (drawing by Kate Beaton) (Default)

[personal profile] anatsuno 2019-11-19 10:15 am (UTC)(link)
I noticed it in Brit-authored fics and yes it seems the usage is spreading to the point where I think I've also seen it in US-authored fics set in Britain or with British characters. I seem to remember British friends telling me (or writing rants?) that it was a mistake (or an obsolete formulation) even in Britain and railing that US fic-writers were mistakenly spreading it wider? but it was a while back already and I forgot. personally, it definitely annoys me more than whilst, which I find funny.