Tuesday 16 February 2021

English as used on both sides of the Atlantic: 03

Someone else (British) told me the story of his visit to America in the 60s or 70s.


Come bedtime, the lady of the house (American) asked him what time he’d like to be woken up.


He said, “Come and knock me up at 7.”  


Her eyebrows went up and she went very quiet.


It could’ve been worse if the speaker had been female and the hearer was the host, rather than the hostess…


My MacBook Pro dictionary says:


knock up


(knock someone up, knock up someone) (informal) make a woman pregnant: he knocked her up and left her.


(knock someone up, knock up someone) (British) wake or attract the attention of someone by knocking at their door: if you are sick during the night, you cannot knock your neighbour up at 2 a.m.

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