# Britishism? stop = stay **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922 "2005-03-10T23:35:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/1 "2005-03-10T23:35:59Z")
Formula One races in the United States are currently broadcast by Speed Channel. One member of their commentating team is a fellow by the name of [Steve Matchett](http://www.speedtv.com/speed/bio/105/). Matchett was born and raised in England (Loughborough in Leicestershire, according to one of his books), and he has a peculiar usage of English that I can’t recall ever hearing before - from either side of the Atlantic. Specifically, he uses the word “stop” in situations where “stay” or “remain” are more commonly heard. For example, “I was sick, so I stopped home today,” or “There are rain clouds near, but so far the track has stopped dry.” Or, more confusingly at first, when a driver passes the pit entry and remains on the circuit for another lap (as opposed to stopping in the pits): “Schumacher stops out.” Now, it didn’t take long to figure out what he meant, but it does leave me curious. Like I said, I can’t recall ever hearing _anyone_ using the word “stop” this way, and this includes a fair number of British folks of many stripes. Is it some regionalism from the English midlands? Common as hell, and somehow I’ve missed it? A peculiar Matchett-ism? Any insights would be welcome… ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/2 "2005-03-10T23:42:47Z")
My grandmother (Australian born and bred with no connection to the English midlands) used to make use of that construction, but she’d always say “stop \*\*at \*\* home”. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/3 "2005-03-10T23:45:35Z")
Yep, I’d place it in the Midlands. I’d never ‘stop home’. However, I would ‘stop by’ somewhere, or ‘stop off’ to see somebody. And I’d never ‘stop out’ (you don’t want a reputation as a “stop-out” 😛 ) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/4 "2005-03-10T23:57:04Z")
I’ve noticed the use of “stop” for “stay” whilst reading British writing enough that I assume it is (or at least was) fairly common usage over there, though it’s one of those things that Just Sounds Wrong to my American ears. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/5 "2005-03-11T00:51:16Z")
“Why don’t you stop round for a drink after.” Makes perfect sense to me. But now you point it out the better word to use would have been stay. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/6 "2005-03-11T01:08:29Z")
Sounds perfectly normal to me, but I’m from the East Midlands and used to live in Loughborough. ---
**Author:** ![violacrane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c57346/32.png) [@violacrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/violacrane)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/7 "2005-03-11T02:45:48Z")
An American friend of mine, now living and working in England (S Yorks) was caught out by this one over the question of whether she would be working late. “Are you stopping?” she was asked “No I’m staying” she replied. When she told me it took me a moment or two to understand why she was confused. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/8 "2005-03-11T04:03:20Z")
Thanks for the replies. Very interesting… Doing what I probably should have done before even starting this thread, I consult [Merriam-Webster](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=stop&x=0&y=0). _Stop_ has quite a number of meanings in English, of course (They list 8 transitive senses and 4 intransitive, and that’s just the verb). One of the intransitive senses is: > [@](#): > > **3 a :** to break one’s journey : STAY **b** _chiefly British_ : REMAIN ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/9 "2005-03-11T08:37:11Z")
> [@brad\_d](#): > > Doing what I probably should have done before even starting this thread, I consult [Merriam-Webster](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=stop&x=0&y=0). _Stop_ has quite a number of meanings in English, of course (They list 8 transitive senses and 4 intransitive, and that’s just the verb). Before clicking the link, I tried to think of what they were. I got a total of 6 :smack: Mind you, I was never going to get this: > [@](#): > > to hold an honor card and enough protecting cards to be able to block (a bridge suit) before an opponent can run many tricks ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/10 "2005-03-11T08:53:14Z")
I don’t use that form of ‘stop’ much these days as I live in France but whenever I return home to Ireland then it comes natuarally to **stop at home** or **stop in to someone** , seeing as that’s how my family use the word. I don’t think I can ever remember my grandmother using the word ‘stay’ when ‘stop’ was just as good 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/11 "2005-03-11T10:43:18Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > Sounds perfectly normal to me, but I’m from the East Midlands and used to live in Loughborough. Hey up \*\*Kal \*\* lad ! You don’t know me but I think people are looking for you over in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5935473#post5935473) - maybe you should **stop** by 😉 PS Don’t know if you’re allowed to do this but seeing I spent way too long in the (north) East Midlands myself I thought you’d let me off. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/12 "2005-03-11T11:31:33Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Yep, I’d place it in the Midlands. Aren’t you Suffolk born and bred then? I am, and grew up using “stop”. > [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > “Why don’t you stop round for a drink after.” Makes perfect sense to me. But now you point it out the better word to use would have been stay. Nope - they mean different things. To “stop round” means drop in, to “stay round” means, well, to stay! ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/13 "2005-03-11T11:45:49Z")
> [@Shrinking Violet](#): > > Aren’t you Suffolk born and bred then? I am, and grew up using “stop”. Not quite born & bred, but close. The more I think about it, the less sure I am of what I actually say! 😉 I think I do possibly use ‘stopped’, in the past tense only. Mind you, we’ve got onto the weirdness of the Suffolk accent before (you’re from Sudbury, aren’t you?) - I’m currently teaching kids in Stoke-by-Nayland and Hadleigh, and their accent is definitely different from _up’ere 'n corst_. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/14 "2005-03-11T11:46:35Z")
> [@Ponster](#): > > I don’t use that form of ‘stop’ much these days as I live in France but whenever I return home to Ireland then it comes natuarally to **stop at home** or **stop in to someone** , seeing as that’s how my family use the word. But doesn’t stop in that sense mean “visit” rather than stay? We say that too, at least in the North East. " I stopped by the office before going to Portsmouth for a meeting." " Your mother misses you, you ought to stop by the house soon." ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/15 "2005-03-11T12:06:10Z")
To my ears “stopped by” is used to denote a “quick short-term visit”, as in “I stopped by my parents house to give my mother some flowers”. Implication is that I am not staying for any length of time (not taking my coat off). ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/16 "2005-03-11T12:57:29Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Yep, I’d place it in the Midlands. I’d never ‘stop home’. However, I would ‘stop by’ somewhere, or ‘stop off’ to see somebody. And I’d never ‘stop out’ (you don’t want a reputation as a “stop-out” 😛 ) It isn’t just the Midlands. It’s common up north, too. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/17 "2005-03-12T23:54:34Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > you’re from Sudbury, aren’t you? You’ve got a good memory! I came within a few hundred yards of being an Essex Girl, and pronouncing onion as “oingun” and toilet as “tarlet”. Now _that’s_ a weird accent. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![START](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@START](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/START)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/18 "2005-03-13T00:01:49Z")
Do you know what I like about this thread? The word Britishism…traces back to me. AWESOME 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/19 "2005-03-13T08:02:49Z")
> [@Shrinking Violet](#): > > You’ve got a good memory! > > I came within a few hundred yards of being an Essex Girl, and pronouncing onion as “oingun” and toilet as “tarlet”. Now _that’s_ a weird accent. 😃 I used to live near Braintree and there was a feeling amongst a lot of residents there that they would like to declare UDI , break away from the rest of Essex and possibly join up with Suffolk. Essex is certainly a county of two halves. On the one hand you have the wasteland that is Basildon , Canvey Island and Southend and then you have the better part of the county north of Chelmsford. I now live in the East Midlands . Although people speak with an accent at least they pronounce all the letters they are supposed to , as opposed to the very lazy speech patterns you hear around London. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922/20 "2005-03-13T08:06:01Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > I used to live near Braintree and there was a feeling amongst a lot of residents there that they would like to declare UDI , break away from the rest of Essex and possibly join up with Suffolk. Awww, bless’em. It’s nice for them to have a dream. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britishism-stop-stay/293922.md?page=2)