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Rings and bands...

(37 Posts)
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Witzend Thu 02-Aug-18 11:03:13

I know I am BU and a grumpy old hag to boot, but the increasing use of 'band' for (wedding) ring does irritate me.

I thought it had probably come into US English via German (same as 'dumb' from 'dumm' meaning stupid) but being unsure I looked up 'band' in my ancient German dictionary.

There is no mention of 'ring' but one of the meanings given is 'bond, fetter, chain' !!
So maybe I was right after all....
(Not that I look on my own wedding ring in that light!)

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Jane10 Thu 02-Aug-18 11:07:12

Does it matter?!

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winterwhite Thu 02-Aug-18 11:27:50

I’ve noticed it and assumed it was a marketing term, to make something traditionally plain sound more special.

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Witzend Thu 02-Aug-18 12:03:15

No, it doesn't matter, Jane, but this is Pedants' Corner, where we're allowed a little (usually lighthearted) grumble about things that don't matter in the great scheme of things.

I'm not sure why non pedants visit here, except to ask why things that don't matter, matter to some of us!

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Jane10 Thu 02-Aug-18 13:06:14

Pedants don't own this thread! It's something I'm pedantic about!

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stella1949 Thu 02-Aug-18 13:15:37

Surely a band is a thin flat strip of any sort of material, which is wrapped around something. Ergo, a band can be a ring around the finger . It's origin is either Old French bende or Old High German binta meaning to bind.

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Bathsheba Thu 02-Aug-18 13:22:25

There are lots of things in the English language which have more than one word to describe them - box/carton/packet, bowl/basin/dish, vase/ewer, jug/pitcher, build/construct, and so on. Why not ring/band? confused

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Bathsheba Thu 02-Aug-18 13:25:18

And I'm totally with Jane10 here - how boring would Pedants' Corner be if only pedants were allowed in. Everyone would be grumbling away together and endlessly agreeing with each other hmm

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Anniebach Thu 02-Aug-18 14:06:54

I had a wedding band 50 years ago

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Jane10 Thu 02-Aug-18 14:12:25

I do enjoy a pipe band!

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Anniebach Thu 02-Aug-18 14:22:00

? coming from South Wales valleys, it Collery Brass Band for me

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Jane10 Thu 02-Aug-18 14:42:23

Ooh lovely. I do enjoy a brass band!

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stella1949 Thu 02-Aug-18 14:47:01

I think a wedding band is a group of really bad musicians who attempt to entertain people at wedding receptions.

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GrannyGravy13 Thu 02-Aug-18 14:51:44

The only band I need after 8 weeks of limited mobility is a gastricband................

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Anniebach Thu 02-Aug-18 14:56:55

? Grannygravy

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Jane10 Thu 02-Aug-18 15:10:02

Would a Bandaid do as a temporary measure GrannyGravy?

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GrannyGravy13 Thu 02-Aug-18 15:31:15

Jane10 I am willing to try. I just need for my mouth to agree with my head when head says no!!!

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Jane10 Thu 02-Aug-18 16:03:30

Simply place Bandaid over mouth. Sorted!

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Jalima1108 Thu 02-Aug-18 16:30:02

I've heard it termed 'a slave bangle'

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absent Thu 02-Aug-18 20:08:51

I refer to my wedding ring as "my badge of ownership". It took Mr absent a long time to work out who did the owning.

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Annapops Thu 02-Aug-18 21:26:43

"All that's left is a band of gold........" Showing my age.

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Jalima1108 Thu 02-Aug-18 21:33:34

And mine Annapops - I shall be humming that now! (Who sang that?)

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sodapop Thu 02-Aug-18 21:41:54

I always thought that was a bangle worn on the upper arm Jalima1108 no longer fashionable now.

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Jalima1108 Thu 02-Aug-18 21:47:48

Yes, it was, sodapop, but just a jokey term for a wedding ring too
Not that I ever took any notice of that!

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GrannyGravy13 Thu 02-Aug-18 21:52:13

Band of Gold by Freda Payne was the first single I bought with my 'earned money'

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