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by **Batty** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:47 pm

I can't help it if other people have mucky minds, Dug!

If I said that I had a dodgy leg, would it be a lame excuse??

by **Penfold** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 12:04 am

No, I would just tell you to hop it!

by **deldaisy** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:30 am

by **Batty** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:03 pm

Penfold wrote:No, I would just tell you to hop it!

Is that a limp pun, Penfold!

by **Penfold** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:29 pm

Only when compared to a legend like yourself Batty.

by **CrysaniaMajere** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:55 am

Didn't know where to put it, then found this thread. I have a question :

What's the difference between While and Whilst ? If there is a difference, I can't see it.

by **Joolz** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:04 am

Don't think there is one Whilst sounds posher

by **The Mad Collector** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:12 am

There isn't one as far as meaning is concerned, whilst is seen as more of a literary usage than while so poets would probably use whilst in preference to while but there is no real reason to use whilst rather than while.

American English doesn't use whilst at all so if writing for people who think colour is spelt color then use while

by **CrysaniaMajere** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:03 am

Thanks guys

Then I can go on using always While

by **Conforumist** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:45 am

There is the occasion where I would use "whilst" over "while" like:

Whist I don't disagree...

I think it starts a sentence a little better sometimes. But I would also use:

While I was walking to the store...

I also don't think you could use "whist" here:

Stay with me a "whilst".

I think "while" can fit in anywhere, but "whilst" is a little more limited.

Wifey and I use the "st" ended on words for fun quite frequently like: couldst and goodst
I think we're just making silly of the old English, which seemed to use the "st" at the end fairly frequently.

by **Penfold** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 10:12 am

I think it stemmed from the days when Middle English was spoken and where they would add an 's' to adverbs which was later corrupted by the Southern English who further added a further 't', probably from confusion with words that had a superlative '_st' ending (like gentle/gentlest). I still use 'whilst' from time to time if I think a sentence with it sounds better when read aloud than a sentence using 'while'. I reckon we could do with Pooh looking on this subject since he is our resident English expert.

by **ChristianBecker** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 12:44 pm

I think there is no real difference. But for me (as a non native speaker, mind) "whilst" sounds strange when used to
begin a temporal clause, whilst "while" works well with temporal and adversative clauses. But my OALD tells me that "whilst" is only an alternative to "while".

by **Bwdr** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:09 pm

It's strange how difficult these can be to a non-native speaker.

It always amuses me how the French find the difference between shit and sheet troublesome.

That said I find the difference between é and è and en and on in French difficult enough, let alone their whole words.

by **ChristianBecker** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 8:22 am

Thanks for sharing and welcome bwdr.

by **meerkat** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:19 am

Wot CB said!

Welcome Bwdr!

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