Have you ever wondered why

Question: As Americans, when we tell people not to consider something, we say "never mind." But we never tell people to mind something. However, in the UK, mind is more common and when you step off the tube (subway) there, it's common to hear a recording that says "mind the gap" as in watch out for the gap between the train and the platform. Mind it, be aware of it. Why doesn't American English include "mind" alone as a verb but does allow "never mind"? I forgot about "Mind your own business" but that's just one phrase, along with "mind your p's and q's." Is "mind" used more in the UK?

Answer: It used to. I remember when I was growing up in the fifites my parents would say: "Mind your manners!" However over time in the States this has changed to: "be careful of" or "caution". This phenomenon can also be seen in Norman English words such as "sensitive" which today in French usage became: "sensible", which is quite different from the English word "sensible" which means logical. So attribute this to change over time.

Related Questions

Related Items