🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <5913@mergvax> rkpc@mergvax (Rob Kedoin) writes:
>I was wondering if anyone has had the experience with the phrases "in line"
>vs "on line".
>
>I have found that when someone in New York talks about waiting on line, they
>use the phrase "on line" whereas people from Pennslyvania and Ohio tend to
>find the phrase "on line" ridiculous and will object and tell you that the
>proper phrase is "in line".
>

Last time I posted my in/on question, the discussion rapidly turned to
this "in line" / "on line" point.  "Standing on line" to wait for, say
tickets or service, seems to be almost strictly a New York City
usage.  It does not seem to extend even to Albany (NY).  Postings last
time did not establish:

a) how far out Long Island the usage extends;
b) whether it extends into Connecticut, or beyond northeastward, and how far;
c) whether it extends into New Jersey, or beyond southward, and how far.

I wonder if it a too-litteral translation for some common-in-NYC
non-English language, perhaps Yiddish or Italian (?).  No-one last time
presented an "explanation", even hand-waving, for the usage.

David Mark
dmark@cs.buffalo.edu