<MSGID_1=3A387=2F22_51d2fdac@fidonet.org>
From: alexander koryagin <koryagin@erec.ru>

Hi, Roy Witt!
I read your message from 02.07.2013 10:50

 ak>>>> "There is a man in the street."

 RW>>> This would be correct for someone who is actually in the street.
 RW>>> There is also a correct way to say 'the man on the street' as a
 RW>>> general term as a news reporter doing remote radio or TV
 RW>>> broadcasting.

 ak>> I read in a dictionary that it is an American variant. The British
 ak>> say "in the street."

 RW> I forget who it was or which morning TV program it was, but they
 RW> featured 'the man on the street' way back in the 1960s... he
 RW> interviewed the people on the street on a daily basis. They were
 RW> actually on the sidewalk, outside the TV studio where the show was
 RW> being broadcast.

   As for me, I like "on the street." I think that when the Americans
modernized their English they understood that, in this case, the
preposition "on" is much logical than British "in." Although, the
tradition means much. For instance, IMO it is funny, that birds in
America are still IN the tree, not ON the tree, although it would be
quite logical. Even more logical than "on the street." ;-)

   In Russia, our birds are ON trees, but mice are IN holes. Bark
beetles live IN trees.

<skipped>
 ak>> But look at the example at
 ak>> http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/square_...
 ak>> "She lives in Hanover Square." Can she live AT Hanover Square?

 RW> Yes, she can live at 12 Hanover Square, which would be more
 RW> specific than saying she lives in Hanover Square.

   Do you mean that I can't use "at" without mentioning her house
number? I repeat the question: Can she live AT Hanover Square? Is it a
legitimate question?

<skipped>
 RW>>>>> Russian rockets would be intercepted and destroyed by American
 RW>>>>> satellites using rocket killer lasers from space.
 ak>>>> Can we have in Russia laser killers for the American satellites?
 ak>>>> 

 RW>>> Probably... just as America has spy satelites looking in your
 RW>>> bathroom window. 8^)
 ak>> As Snowden would said "look who's talking!" ;-)
 RW> Apparently he's a smart guy, but he's not very smart! Know what I
 RW> mean? 8^)

   Well, as any person he can be smart in a specific area, but be naive
in some others. I think, he had hoped that he would stay in Hong-Kong.
It has some autonomy from China, but it is not a communist country. From
another side China provides the defense and controls Hong-Kong's foreign
policy. Snowden could not be extradited without Chinese consent.
Theoretically, Chinese Communist government must not allow Hong-Kong to
extradite Snowen to the US. They are not friends, speaking mildly. He
could hope on that, and that was the point that he revealed his secrets
there, and open some information that the US spies widely in the Chinese
cyberspace.

   Hong-Kong's authority appeared to be between two fires. As a Chinese
territory it could not extradite Showden, but as a close the US' partner
it could not grant him an asylum.

 RW> Iceland has offered him a welcome there and there's no extradition
 RW> treaty between them and the USA. In Iceland he'd be able to walk
 RW> the streets without fear of being picked up and extradited. Now he
 RW> just sits in a holding area while Putin thumbs his nose at Obama.

   In Russia, theoretically, Snowden would have the same freedom of
movement. He is not the first spy nail between the US and Russia. There
are many KGB traitors who have caused great damage to Russia when they
sold top secrets to CIA, and they were given an asylum in the US. The
situation looks similar -- Russia has been wanting to suit them as
criminals, but the US is not in the mood to extradite them. So, for
Russia, Showden could be just a small revenge.

   As for Putin's words, that "Snowden could stay in Russia on condition
that he stops to cause damage to the US" -- all politicians are liars
and hypocrites. IMHO, it was just a formal statement, and after that
Putin's spokesman had said that Snowden would no be extradited in any
case (because there is a death penalty in the US).

 ak>> They say when he wants to swear at CIA he does it the Sheremetyevo
 ak>> bathroom holding the douche as a telephone handset. ;=)

 RW> There are douche' bags in Russian bathrooms for men?

   No, it is just a joking description of the late stage of insanity
when a person thinks he is been listened everywhere. ;=) Modern pop
stars have another syndrome -- they thought they are shot even they are
photographed even in their bathrooms. But they bothers not about their
nakedness, but about their face to be look good on the photos. So they
smile in their bathrooms. 

 ak>>>>>> If you want your guests to be off, ask them for money. If you
 ak>>>>>> want them to stay, ask for advice.
 RW>>>>> If you want your guests to leave, ask them for money. If you
 RW>>>>> want them to stay, ask them for advice.
 ak>>>> I wonder, maybe "be off" is more rude, and therefore is more apt
 ak>>>> when it applied to annoying guests? 
 RW>>> No, I think 'be off' is a British way of saying 'leave' in
 RW>>> American English.
 ak>> I need something nasty. Maybe this: "If you want your guests to
 ak>> buzz off ask them for money...." 

 RW> How about: If you want your unwanted guests to flee the party, tell
 RW> them one of the drunken party-goers pissed in the punch bowl. Those
 RW> who have been drinking the punch will be out of there with a
 RW> flash...

   Well, as a rule guests are not unwanted. We say about our guests that
stay very late, without thinking that the good time to leave had passed
long ago. I remember as Winnie-the-Pooh was Rabbit's guest and got into
a tight place. But all the Rabbit should have done was to ask the bear
for some honey. ;-)

Bye, Roy!
Alexander Koryagin
fido7.english-tutor 2013
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