I've just read that in England shops or offices write this notice when they are open to public, in office hours , I imagine: "BUSINESS AS USUAL". It sounds quite strange and I've never heard it before. Is it really used in normal English to mean "we are open"?? Thanks.
2007-03-20 08:15:12 · 1 answers · asked by gardengate 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
I'm not joking, this sentence appears in a dictionary as an example. Now you know why I sent the question.
2007-03-20 09:02:41 · update #1
So the dictionary was totally misleading beacuse they suggested that the sign meant " the shop was open for business" , but in a serious way. Now I understand that the sentence is used in a humorous way to say that " we are sorry , we can't go for a walk or on holiday, but we have to work" . am I right???
2007-03-20 20:39:10 · update #2
Ciao gardengate,
I have seen that sign a couple of times in the US and in the UK. It's just a funny way of using the phrase, not that it means "we are open."
By the way, I just saw another one a few minutes ago: "Sorry, we're open."
2007-03-20 11:45:53 · answer #1 · answered by اري 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋