Victorian Cottage Pianos

[Bill Kibby]

This item has been updated at
http://pianogen.org/victorian.html

[vernon]

Bill
What an interesting posting.

[MarkGoodwinPianos]

Do you know anything about the term "standup" pianos Bill?

Strangely, I find that my friends who are aged over about 50+ don't seem to have the phrase "upright piano" in their vocab and will often say "standup piano" instead.

hmm

[vernon]

I'm well over 50 and never heard the term "stand up" piano for an upright (in Britain)

[MarkGoodwinPianos]

Fancy that! It could be a Lancashire thing.

Here is a retailer website with a standup piano stocklist.
http://www.preloved.co.uk/fuseaction-ad ... 8548c.html

[Colin Nicholson]

I've also come across unusual wording for describing the general shape & 'attire' for an upright piano.... such as "Wooden Piano" ( popular on Ebay).

I think that the person selling or describing it hasn't the faintest idea about pianos, and its just gathering dust in their garage!!

Various 'common - gardener' terms usually present themselves maybe as that person envisages the piano in their own vocab terms, and often I tell people what the correct term is. Also things like this annoy me! "The piano is over 100 years old, some notes don't work, but its in good condition" ? EH ?

In the Chambers English dictionary, 'stand-up' does not refer to a piano in any shape or form, only by getting up onto your feet...... but 'upright' is then prefixed with 'upright piano' - and IS mentioned as a proper term - blimey, sounding like Susie Dent here!!

I can only think that the term "stand up" has derived from Chubby Brown!!

[Bill Kibby]

Much as I would like to be pedantic about every term, and define it clearly and unconditionally, it pays to try to get into the mind-set of someone who knows nothing about pianos and sees it simply as one those that stands up instead of lying down! I expect such terms from younger people, it is all part of the appalling standard of education, which leaves our world increasingly in the hands of people who have no idea how to form a sentence, and no general knowledge at all. Not only that, they don't understand why they should need to communicate clearly.

In antique piano terms, we could ask why we call something a sticker when it is not. I would also like to live in a world where "wicked" was a naughty word, crowbars were not wrecking bars, and coachbolts were bolts, and bolts had to have nuts. Even in my lifetime, things that had perfectly good, useable names have now become something else altogether. We went looking for one of those beds that opens up to provide storage underneath. The saleswoman said "Oh, you mean an Ottoman." "Oh dear!" I said, trying hard to look shocked and upset, "What are they calling ottomans now?" She didn't understand.

The point is that one cannot impose rules upon the world, and language WILL change despite all our efforts. My engineering lecturer would have said "it can't be a bolt if it hasn't got a nut" and that was a good rule for some, but it doesn't always work in the real world.

[MarkGoodwinPianos]

That was a sick post Bill

[NewAge]

That was a sick post Bill

I thought that was a cracking post from Bill. Unfortunately very true, especially the comment, "...which leaves our world increasingly in the hands of people who have no idea how to form a sentence, and no general knowledge at all".

Take many youngsters today and their text messages and SMS language.
I was in a large bookstore a few months back just browsing (as I love to with books), and my eye fell upon an SMS dictionary. I flicked over a few pages and was amazed at the contents. For most common words you can think of, there's an abbreviation. Time saving to type I agree, but disastrous for the generations to come who like many youngsters today will be unable to put together a correct, coherent sentence. And this by the way was a bookshop in France and a French publication, so to make things worse we are looking at a global phenomena.

And some of the answers one hears on general knowledge quizz shows. Here are just a few of many which are on record:
Presenter: What happened in Dallas on November 22, 1963?
Contestant: I don't know, I wasn't watching it then.

Presenter: In which country is Mount Everest?
Contestant: Er, it's not in Scotland is it?

Presenter: How long did the Six-Day War between Egypt and Israel last?
Contestant: (after long pause) Fourteen days,

Presenter: Where did the D-Day landings take place?
Contestant: (after pause) Pearl Harbor?

Presenter: What is the currency in India?
Contestant: Ramadan.

Presenter: Johnny Weissmuller died on this day. Which jungle-swinging character clad only in a loin cloth did he play?
Contestant: Jesus

I agree, it's difficult to know whether to laugh or cry.

Sorry, it looks as if we have strayed a little from Lnd Cot Pi@o (London's Cottage Pianos?) for those fluent in SMS........

[markymark]

I expect such terms from younger people, it is all part of the appalling standard of education, which leaves our world increasingly in the hands of people who have no idea how to form a sentence, and no general knowledge at all.

What? "Appalling standard of education..."?

Are you trying to blame class teachers for the fact that people post on this forum with spelling mistakes? Perhaps you could explain how you have come to this conclusion?

[Gill the Piano]

It's the way English is taught now, with grammar being valued below content. It's not the teachers, it's the curriculum and the expectations of the examiners.

[markymark]

The current curriculum guidelines in Northern Ireland have put increased emphasis on grammar in the primary sector. The English system used to be the same if it still isn't.

[Gill the Piano]

So why is their spelling/grammar so bad compared with the same age group, say, 30 years ago? Or even 20...

[vernon]

hang on there people!
This is vernon back from France and East Kent.....

Language is an ever changing seething pot. Don't let us get hung up on spelling,grammar,semantics. Next year will be different
It's nice to have guidelines to steer us, if that is not a tautology,that it is,BUT, I'm very diligent in my letters ,using GCE English to guide my things---- commas,semi-colons with careful attention to the Times Newspaper on Saturday with it's feedback column.
Howsomesoever,I still text my granddaughter in textese, tho' ( see that apostrophe?) I'm not always sure of the import of the response.
If someone really wants to pass a motion on this site calling for proper grammar and received spelling, that will accord with me and I will carefully proof-read all communications.I must say I can't ( cannot) find much connexion(connection) with the previous posts.I feel we may let out a flood of nitpicking if we release the finger from the dyke(dike). That'll shew(show) them.

[Bill Kibby]

Absolutely Vernon, but "shew" is not modern, it is an ancient form still very much in use here in East Anglia.

[maccolliens]

London's Cottage Pianos is the best pianos because it is available in small and big size and it's voice celerity is better than any other pianos. General people afford this pianos and enjoy himself. It is easy to learn and play pianos very well.It best use for musician an student for learn.

[Bill Kibby]

I had assumed that this was a spam message, it makes no sense at all, but there do not appear to be any dubious links attached to it.