Re: USAGE: Internetese deviancy - the definite article

--- Roger Mills <rfmilly@...> wrote:
> Gary Shannon wrote: (re "teh")
> > --- "Mark J. Reed" <markjreed@...> wrote:
<snip>

> I've assumed it's from chat rooms and instant
> messaging, perhaps on those
> magical new cell phones that use the internet or
> something.  Beyond that, I
> don't particularly want to know....   In fact, the
> only odd use of "the"
> I've encountered is in "The Donald", and I don't
> like that either.
> Harrumph.  (rejoicing in Old-Fogey-dom)
>
I still haven't figured out how the British decide to
DROP "the" in so many odd places like "going to
hospital" instead of "going to THE hospital."  Does
anybody know what the rule is for when to drop "the"
in order to speak proper British?  For example, does
one say "I'm going to the city", or "I'm going to
city"?

Somehow, "going to university" makes "university"
sound like a verb to me.  "I'm going to university and
then I'm going to sing, and if you don't watch out I'm
going to hospital you right in the face."

--gary

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