Further to the Korbut Function

[desperance]

You guys: you are amazing. Virtual cookies and/or biscuits for all. You are not only prompt, you are unanimous; the internets agree with each other. Uneven bars or uneven parallel bars is American usage and always has been; asymmetric bars is British.

At least, it was British. Until now. And I would very much like to know who decided to change it. On the BBC, damn it! I love variations in usage, transatlantic or otherwise; I hate creeping homogenisation.

Bah, humbug. To the barricades! Who's with me?

Comments

[szandara.livejournal.com]

I am! As an American, I like the variations in usage. When I'm reading, it sets the story for me; I know when I'm reading a British author writing in a British context.

And I am also Very Nearly Old, for I remember Olga Korbut....

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

"Skim Milk" is an instruction.

I am locked and loaded.

[danjite.livejournal.com]

Right. I guess it is "uneven bars" now as "parallel" is too fancy a word.

Sigh...

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I'll tear up some cobblestones if you'll rip up a few more. And then we can build barricades in the streets take back our languages from the evil minions of homogenisation!

:)

[frandowdsofa.livejournal.com]

With my trusty broom handle with a carving fork tied to the end.

[pogodragon.livejournal.com]

I'm with you (I remember Olga Korbut, I went to see the Russian Gymnastic team do an exhibition event in London sometime in the 1970s - though she was 'ill' and didn't perform)

I did notice the change from 'asymmetric' to 'uneven' a few years ago, on the BBC. *Drags furniture to end of street*

[martyn44.livejournal.com]

Where's my double barreled pedant's gun?

Of course, 'parallel bars' is a different piece of apparatus, for men, with no chance of them (deliberately) slamming their pudenda into the bar, as appears to be the raison d'etre of the assymetric (for ever!) bars

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Reporting for language protection duty, Sir!

[gauroth.livejournal.com]

I'll bring my cross-stitch (unlike Mme Defarge I don't knit)

[footlingagain.livejournal.com]

Sorry I'm late,sir! I had to empty the arsenal!

[handworn.livejournal.com]

We both call 'em barricades, you know.