Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2021 October 7
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October 7
[edit]Dialog doubt from Spiral (2021 film)
[edit]- Benny Wrights. He's a hustler. Serious tweaker. Flops in a burnt-out bread factory down on 12th.
Why "in" instead of "at"? Rizosome (talk) 03:33, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
- Why not? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 06:23, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
- Indeed, he flops (sleeps) inside the burnt out factory. At is more general and could suggest he flops just outside it or within the grounds.--Shantavira|feed me 08:37, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
- One also says that someone works in a factory, or in an office, because these are containing spaces. But one says "a job at The Cheesecake Factory", because that is not a building but a company. --Lambiam 09:02, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
- Peculiarities of English. I could say I'm staying at the hotel, but I'm sleeping in the hotel. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 11:48, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
- When there is rioting going on in the streets, you may prefer to stay in the hotel. Once it's quiet again outside and you don't wish to stay in the hotel, you may go out to a bar and inform someone you meet that you are currently staying at the Ritz–Carlton. --Lambiam 15:09, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
- Peculiarities of English. I could say I'm staying at the hotel, but I'm sleeping in the hotel. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 11:48, 7 October 2021 (UTC)
- One also says that someone works in a factory, or in an office, because these are containing spaces. But one says "a job at The Cheesecake Factory", because that is not a building but a company. --Lambiam 09:02, 7 October 2021 (UTC)