Do You Mind?!
I’m by no means (not at all) an expert on British English, but anyone who has been to London can tell you what the phrase “mind the gap” means. It is an announcement heard on the subway/metro (called the “Tube” in England) when the doors to the subway trains open and close. Mind, in this case, means to pay attention to something, and gap means the space between two things. It is a reminder for people to be careful of the space between the subway train doors and the station platform, the flat area where people wait for the train to arrive.
In American English, we don’t use “mind” in the same way. Yes, we do use “to mind” to mean to pay attention to something, but we use it in a very specific way. In the U.S., you may hear parents or adults say to children: “Mind your parents,” meaning do what your parents tell you to, or “mind your manners.” Manners refer to social behaviors, so we talk about people having good manners or bad manners. When parents tell their children to “mind their manners,” they mean for the children to behave well, such as to say “please” and “thank you,” and to not eat with their mouth open at the dinner table.
Another phrase you’ll hear is, “Do you mind?” We use this in two ways. First, we use it to mean, “Is it all right?” or “Is this acceptable to you?” Here are a couple of examples:
- “Do you mind if I meet you at 2:00 instead of 1:00?”
- “Li asked me if we would mind if they sat with us at the concert, and I told her that we wouldn’t mind at all.”
Another way we use the phrase “Do you mind?” is to express our displeasure and to tell someone to stop doing what he or she is doing. For example, if you are on the bus and someone leans over to read your newspaper to the point of getting in your way, you may say to him/her, “Do you mind?” meaning “stop doing that!” This is a pretty forceful statement and is usually used when we’re annoyed or angry about someone else’s actions.
Here’s another example: Jeff walks away from his desk at work and when he returns, I’m sitting there, looking with interest at the chocolate bar he’d left there. When he sees what I intend to do, he says to me, “Do you mind?!” meaning, “Stop trying to eat my candy bar!” Of course, Jeff wouldn’t say that. He is too nice of a guy, and knowing how much I like chocolate, he would probably share it with me. Right, Jeff?
~ Lucy
December 15th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Very interesting, I have heard “mind your steps” or “mind your head” when walking in low ceiling area or getting on a car or bus, but I didn´t know it is more common in British English than American one, I always learn something new each time a listen to podcast or read the blog…
Thanks
Rodrigo
Venezuela
December 15th, 2009 at 9:53 am
“Mind your head” is a common sight on top of doors in Scotland, specially in Glasgow
December 15th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Sure Lucy, that Jeff don´t mind to share with you his chocolate bar, and it would be good for him to do that because I can gest he eats a lot of sweets.
But chocolate?….
Don´t you mind Lucy to put some weigth on your nice body eating the a good chocolate?.
I don´t know if Jeff do right letting you to pick his chocolate bar or some other sweets he likes to degustate at the office as he is working.
It would be better that he shares with you an orange or an apple that the sweet chocolate candy.
Nice post, I don´t know the phrase “mind the gap” and at least, not being ever in London no body can ask me once there “what is it saying?” and I would be in the necessity of with a pocket face saying him/her “I don´t hear” or doesn´t matter it has not importance.
You know Lucy that if you say that you can speak something of other language everybody think (who doesn´t) that you have to understand everything and If it´s not so, you have to listen a lot of reproaches in the way of:
Don´t you say that you speak English? or French?……so many studies for nothing.
And yes, I mind to listen this because I have some experience about the matter and have listened it so many times.
Thanks a million Lucy, now I don´t mind that other friends write in the blog, in fact I want to see many of them here (elcomandant, tania, ali, roberto, jose maria, and all of you ….please) as it looks that always we do write the same, me included, so I retire for a while.
December 15th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Nice touch Lucy, U r funny Lucy,i m reffering to the last paragraph.
Lucy,
How about the term”mind your own business,or I am minding my own business?”
Like you say:
I was leaning on the door minding my own business when I saw the creepy guy doing something suspitious,so I called police
Good one, isn’t it
Lucy,
No mean to interfere .starting today,I promise I will mind my own business. LOL
Great input sis,
It is pretty common. Luke” do you mind” you mentioned.
December 15th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Thanks for bringing me up to speed Lucy. I mean, thanks for updating me
Here, you see the note on the door train in subway saying mind the gap
I didnt have the slightest inkeling , not even a clue, that the term is a loanterm from fellow British
I know you don’t mind me ,but I do mind you!
Lucy,
Jeff is on Lava! And you are on fire! It is a pity that I m not even on flame ( LOL)
Just trying to funny ,maybe I am trying too hard
December 15th, 2009 at 10:48 am
You don’t mind me( don’t care for me) but I do mind you( I care for u greatly)
Just made up
Hope I used it right!
Luv you my proffs
A huge fan of yours
Peter
December 15th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
It is so great to read your blog which always bring something fresh and useful to our english learners. thanks you so much! and keep up the good work!^^
BTW, I didn’t know the second the meaning of ” do you mind ?” until I read this blog. definetly good material!
December 16th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Hi ! Do you mind if I share with you my thoughts ?
I was glad to have such a long and warm autumn / fall with green leaves up to December and even rosebuds . But where is the snow ? The joy of all children
and mountain tourists . Without snow , without tourists … the mountains are sad. The same the closed hotels’ owners .
Tania
December 16th, 2009 at 1:23 am
Hi ! It is great today . It is snowing . Snow at last . The fir-trees with branches leant under the white snow coat … and the fresh air …
I wish you all a mild winter ,
Tania
December 16th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Guys I have an important piece of info for you
The name of languages, the name God, and the name of people always come in capital.it does not matter where the come in a sentence.
I like to learn English
I said my prayers to God last night
Thanks for the input Tania
And also Mom and Dad when they come alone( by themselves)
For instance:
I told Mom to make things right with Dad
I told your mom( with possesive pronoun) to work things out with your dad( with pronoun )
I know u tend not to trust me.
And also, I know for a fact that Jeff calls the shots around here ,and nothing get thorough( approve) without his say-so(approval)
So, I apeal to Jeff and Lucy to confirm the authencity of the materials above
Thanks
Yours
Peter
December 16th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Dear Jeff and Lucy,
I love the way you blog your thoughts .I mean the word arrangments , the structures you use. I am wondering
If you put lots of thoughts before getting to it,or you just jot down everything with no braiseorming ,lining and so on
What is the secret?
is your first draft your final draft?
I am totally smitten by your writting style. I gotta tell you ( normally used in a negative sens, the positive version of it is : I got to hand it to you),you got skills.
Please share it with us
December 16th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Lucy, would you mind if Jeff eats you chocolate bar?
British English has its own characteristics.
Nice blog.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Hm, hope, Jeff is not that kind who likes sweets.
December 16th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I feel very good each time I read the articles of your blog.Can learn new knowledge of english and english culture. I ‘d like to ask a question about the meaning of “make sense”.Thank you very much.
December 17th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Hi ! Peter , I think you try to write poetries . Are you an unknown poet or a misunderstood one ?
Way to go !
Tania
December 17th, 2009 at 4:27 am
Thank you Lucy!
Now, I have a great sentence to say to my children: MIND YOUR PARENTS, because when I say it in Spanish they don´t understand or phehaps they don´t want to understand. Well guys, you know, that´s life with little people.
By the way, thank you Peter to remind us the importance of capital letters in English because sometimes we forget to use them.
Roberto.
December 17th, 2009 at 7:20 am
Dear Jeff and Lucy,
You outdid yourself again!
Kudos on the episode 532 . Perfect,in deed. I picked up more than few(LOL) out of it. I took a lot away from the episode.My favourite one is the cautionary tale, I had no clue about that and some others like stop and smell the roses ,literally love it. I consider this episode as my christMASS gift. I can’t wait to use cautionary tale and stop and smell the roses in a social setting. Even you can use them some how as social satire. Definitely,I am gonna brag about them.I am gonna be totally haughty about it. You know one of those fantastic moments that you feel superiority but feign humility.
Indeed Espod is perfect in so many ways.
You guys keep flipping me with the grip you have on your mother tongue.
There is one question standing out, though. Please tell me what you don’t know,seriously.
P.S. I don’t like rides either
December 17th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Dear Lucy,
when I was first in London my English was worse than now and on the Tube continuously I could hear a phrase without being able to understand the meaning. Now you unveil the mystery: it was “Mind the gap!”. Thanks, your post are always interesting; what a pity I haven’t sufficient memory to remember at least the majority of your explanation. It takes patience: it’s a trouble of the age, but I don’t intend to give up.
Clara from Italy
December 18th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Hi ! You are right , Peter . Very nice “Spending Time with Family ” . Nice and sad . It touches something from our hearts .
Time slips by while we are not paying attention .
We all work our butt off , but at what cost ?
I like to stop and to smell the roses or at least to admire them every day if I could .
Stop and smell the roses . It deserves .
Tania
December 18th, 2009 at 6:55 am
I have also heard the phrase “mind the gap” in many of the Indian railway stations also. In India English is almost similar to British English.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
As I remember I’ve seen the “Mind the gap” phrase in Central Station New York. And not this was most puzzling but the different type of train tickets. I’m not sure what the options were something like regular, pick, off-pick… I bought not the cheaper one. In the train the conductor told me “Too much tickets” and gave me an advice: “Always buy the cheapest one. If it necessary, you can pay the rest in the train”.