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neilo40 • yesterday at 8:47 PM • 4 replies • view on HN

Yes tabled means the opposite on either side of the Atlantic. Has caused me a lot of confusion over the years. Personally as a Brit I just can’t see the logic in the US meaning


Replies

yreg • today at 12:39 AM

Table the motion. (discuss); Table the discussion. (postpone)

Continue the story. (keep reading); Continue the trial. (suspend)

Drop the album. (release); Drop the charges. (abandon)

Sanction an event. (approve); Sanction a country. (penalize)

Cleave to principles. (stick); Cleave wood. (split)

Clip keys to belt. (attach); Clip the hedges. (cut off)

Dust shelves. (remove); Dust pastries with sugar. (add)

Hold fast. (fixed in place); Walk fast. (moving quickly)

Make oversight. (omission); Provide oversight. (scrutiny)

Peruse the ancient manuscript. (read in detail); Peruse the magazine. (look through casually)

The alarm went off. (activated); Turn the alarm off. (deactivated)

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ssl-3 • yesterday at 9:21 PM

As an American, I can't see the logic in having the relationship between a proposal (which is an idea that may be embodied in documentation) and a table (which is a thing that we rest our beer upon) as having any importance at all -- regardless of which way it goes.

It seems like plain speech could be used, but this profoundly-irrational jargon was selected instead.

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delecti • yesterday at 11:17 PM

The US sense came about from the sense of "I'm setting this on the table while we discuss other things". The meaning then evolved a bit of sarcasm with "while we do other things", starting to mean "forever". I do agree that the UK meaning makes more sense though.

petu • yesterday at 10:15 PM

I guess US `tabled` means put in a writing table drawer, hidden and soon to forgotten.