[Magdalen] Creeping UK-ism?

[Lynn Ronkainen]

I think the increasing use of 'in hospital' in the US are UK TV programs/sit 
comes etc that are shown here regularly...

my .02
Lynn

website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck
 "Either Freedom for all or stop talking about Freedom at all" from a talk 
by Richard Rohr

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Roger Stokes" <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com>
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2015 11:32 AM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Creeping UK-ism?

> On 27/07/2015 15:46, Jay Weigel wrote:
>> Interesting, too, in that I find more and more people using the British
>> (and Commonwealth) "in hospital* rather than *in the hospital" as most
>> Americans have been wont to say since I can remember. Of course News
>> reporters simply duck the issue by saying "hospitalized".
>
> There's a very good reason for dropping the definite article this side of 
> the pond.  People from a particular area may go to one of a number of 
> hospitals.  Simply saying "in hospital" conveys the information that they 
> are not at home because of illness or whatever.  If you wish to say they 
> are in a particular hospital then you give the name or some other clear 
> identifier.
>
> Roger