The floor

[treaclesoda]

When I was little I was taught that 'the floor' was indoors, and 'the ground' was outdoors.

Watching a news report earlier, an eyewitness to some event referred to seeing a person 'lying on the floor outside' and it struck me that I hear this all the time now
Strangely enough it is often an eyewitness report on the news!

Is this evolving lauguage, is it something people have always said and I just haven't noticed, or (my favourite theory ) is it just a little bit, well, wrong?

[DrankSangriaInThePark]

I would have said that floor was manmade and ground was natural.

A floor has got tiles or carpets, surely?

I'm with you on the little bit wrong.

[FatalCabbage]

I'm with you. Floor inside; ground outside.

[prism]

I think you're right. "Floor" has a connotation of having been constructed, which the ground isn't. Freddie King wasn't "level with the floor" when he sang Tore Down, which to my mind sums it up. That's not to say there aren't floors that haven't been made, like the ocean floor, but if you're outdoors, you're generally on the ground.

[treaclesoda]

I like you people. I've never started a thread in pedants corner before but you've made me feel very welcome And more importantly, right

[badtime]

I clicked on this wondering if it was about something I've seen a few times recently - 'the floor in the plan'.

[treaclesoda]

badtime I had to read that loads of times before I got it. Was it the flaw in the plan? I think I might weep

Mind you, in my accent there is no similarity in how those words are pronounced, which is probably why I was so confused.

[ancientbuchanan]

Drives me bonkers. Inaccurate, sloppy, and even worse, catching.

Anyone else hate the phrase " in this space" ? In the policy space, or the delivery space, or research space. Meaningless.

[BlackeyedSusan]

Is it possible to have a floor in the plan? Building plans? Or would it be ON the plan?

[Montegomongoose]

ancient. Space! Yes!

I hear it used daily in the most ridiculous ways by people who, I imagine, believe it makes then sound like interesting Shoreditch architects.

I watched a bloke doing a reading outdoors last week.

The people said 'what a really innovative use of the space' and 'he revolutionised the use of the space' and 'the original use of the space made a profound impact on the reading' etc etc.

Total bollocks. The guy with the key to the room had gone home and he was locked out.