Another silly British English grammar question

"Quite" has at least 3 meanings, as I already pointed out. "By definition" is meaningless in the context in which you use it.

 

In response...

Wording that I don't get. Usually when they are interviewing people and the person being interviewed  will say  "At this point in time" Why don't they say "now!" and cut out the extra wording?

They use that phrase a great deal as it's one of those standardised ones they trot out  by rote. It does allow the person speaking to refer to the current moment, but with a larger time-frame. "Now" is right now, this instant. "At this point in time" has an inference to the past and also hints that the situation will change at another point in time and that the main factor is time. The police certainly love saying it on BBC for that very reason, ie "We have no leads at this point in time and investigations are ongoing." I added in that other little word they love so much "ongoing" to hint that processes are fully underway and link in that time will see a change in circumstances.

 

In response...

no need to be coy...

They use that phrase a great deal as it's one of those standardised ones they trot out  by rote. It does allow the person speaking to refer to the current moment, but with a larger time-frame. "Now" is right now, this instant. "At this point in time" has an inference to the past and also hints that the situation will change at another point in time and that the main factor is time. The police certainly love saying it on BBC for that very reason, ie "We have no leads at this point in time and investigations are ongoing." I added in that other little word they love so much "ongoing" to hint that processes are fully underway and link in that time will see a change in circumstances.

Must be police academy jargon because they are the ones I relate it to in the US.

I pronounce Law like Yaw and Flaw not Floor or Your...with my bland Nor California accent. I'm sure my husband would pronounce law like floor.

I just found this from the passed.
My wife is from the bay area and she 'tawks' the same way.
She teases me with my UK pronouseation of 'bare'. Bear. I say it like Bair.

She teases me with my UK pronouseation of 'bare'. Bear. I say it like Bair.

bare and bear are pronounced the same. As in 'bair'. You are correct.

Regarding the word quite and its uses, I am puzzled that it would appear, from this thread, to be a British thing. I was educated in the US and have always used the 3 forms of the word as described by contrex.

I am quite sure I was taught this in school, quite why I am not sure but we learnt it quite well.

I am very sure I was taught this in school, exactly why I am not sure but we learned it rather well.


(Yes learnt is an proper word as is dived as I dived off the diving board)