A couple of days ago I noticed that the list of folders in my Google Mail looked odd, although I couldn't quite work out just how. This morning it seems as plain as day. My erstwhile "Trash" folder has been renamed to "Bin".After the very briefest investigation I've established switching my Google Mail preferences to "English (US)" restores my "Trash" folder and it is my usual choice of "English (UK)" that causes "Bin" to be displayed.
Of course it is very pleasant to learn that someone out there has seen it as important to choose the right word for users in Blighty. Perhaps it is just very miserable of me but "Bin" just does not look right. Surely it should be "Waste paper basket". But then that's perhaps too long for Google's purposes and, in any event, would it be correct to throw electronic mail into a waste "paper" basket?
Then I started to wonder "what's happening to me?". As a proud Northerner I should be delighted at Google's choice. Waste paper baskets are very firmly in the domain of Whitehall offices and the inhabitants of the South. I imagined I would find many pages of the North/South debate devoted to these words but there seem to be none.
I can only conclude that I've spent far too much time south of Watford and have become confused as to my true cultural origins. A trip t'pub is in order so I can seek the opinion of the council of (ex) miners.
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