Innovative Usage Thread

[LingEarth]

Due to the above discussion, I just noticed that I always say I'm sitting "in" a chair (regardless of the size or shape of the chair), but "on" a couch. But apparently sitting "on" a chair is standard for some people?

[Travis B.]

Due to the above discussion, I just noticed that I always say I'm sitting "in" a chair (regardless of the size or shape of the chair), but "on" a couch. But apparently sitting "on" a chair is standard for some people?

I am exactly the same way - to me, one sits "in" a chair, unless one is sitting on the edge of it, but one sits "on" a couch or a stool.

[Vijay]

It's "on" for me.

[Richard W]

For me, it depends on the chair. I'd sit in a comfy armchair, but I'd sit on a chair in most restaurants.

[Nortaneous]

in: chair, seat, recliner (maybe)
on: couch/sofa (afaik these words have the exact same definition), stool, bench

"bed" takes "in" if there's no article and "on" if there is one - "sitting in bed" vs. "sitting on my bed"

[dɮ the phoneme]

the chair that i was sitting in with you guys:
seems a bit odd to me, even if the chair has armrests, etc, and mostly encircles the body. but still grammatical.

Interesting, I only accept 'in' for chairs. "I'll sit down in this chair" - grammatical. "I'll sit down on this chair" - technically grammatical, but implies that... you're perched on top of the chair like a bird somehow (perhaps on the back), or maybe that the chair has toppled over and you're sitting on the side of it.

in: chair, seat, recliner (maybe)
on: couch/sofa (afaik these words have the exact same definition), stool, bench

"bed" takes "in" if there's no article and "on" if there is one - "sitting in bed" vs. "sitting on my bed"

same

[Travis B.]

For me, it depends on the chair. I'd sit in a comfy armchair, but I'd sit on a chair in most restaurants.

To me using "on" with a chair implies it's un-comfy.

[Pabappa]

There might even be more layers to this .... really I'd say that "sit in" and "sit on" are both grammatical to me, and both common, but in different situations. The specific sample sentence where the verb was embedded in the middle of the sentence just seems to flow better if the phrase is "sitting on " rather than "sitting in". It may have something to do with the vowels being otherwise three in a row the same. Or maybe not.

When using a standalone phrase, I can see other uses for both phrases. I definitely remember hearing teachers say "sit in your seat!" and I dont think I've ever heard it with "on". I doubt the teachers were all consciously using child psychology .... getting us to obey by reminding us we're small ..... but it may just have worked its way into our speech mannerisms subconsciously.

But maybe it has to do with the position in the sentence. "on" is a lot more likely to be a stranded particle than "in" is. Im quite fond of clause-final "in" myself, so I appreciate its rarity. while "on" is much more versatile, so it seems to flow better when it's at the end of the word-group (not sure if its a clause) like in the original sample sentence "the chair i was sitting on with you guys".

[quinterbeck]

I have preferential use of 'sitting in the chair' vs 'sitting on the chair' for different contexts that can overlap. The type of chair factors:

made of hard materials, more framelike, no arms --> on
made of soft materials, more solid, arms --> in

"Stay in your seats" is an example of a collocation that disregards the specific form of the seat.

Also, for me 'sitting in bed' means sitting under the covers, while 'sitting on the bed' means over the covers. '

[ratammer]

Interestingly, for me:

"Which chair is he sitting on?" - He's sitting on a chair, right now, and I want to know which one
"Which chair is he sitting in?" - He may or may not be currently sitting on a chair, but one of the chairs in the room has been designated as his for the purposes of this event, and I want to know which one
"Where is he sitting?" could be either.

I've never really thought about it until now.

[Travis B.]

I have preferential use of 'sitting in the chair' vs 'sitting on the chair' for different contexts that can overlap. The type of chair factors:

made of hard materials, more framelike, no arms --> on
made of soft materials, more solid, arms --> in

"Stay in your seats" is an example of a collocation that disregards the specific form of the seat.

Also, for me 'sitting in bed' means sitting under the covers, while 'sitting on the bed' means over the covers. '

Yeah, I am exactly the same way, aside from that if one is sitting on the edge of even a soft chair, one can still use "on".

[Rounin Ryuuji]

I think I would tend to default to "sitting in a chair", though in a context "An overturned chair was in the corner, and somebody was sitting on it (in a clearly nonstandard fashion)" would take "on"; usually, one does sit "on" a bench or sofa (sitting "in" one of these would sound like you were somehow inside it, which with some sofas is possible), but "in" a seat, chair, or generic physical location.

A potential orthographic innovation — I tend to write "centre" (noun, inflects "central, centrist"), but "center" (verb, inflects "centered, centering").

[Vijay]

Tbh I might use "in" in the same contexts as some of you as well.

[Moose-tache]

In an academic lecture: "What I'm going to tell you tonight about is..."

[Vijay]

"...what I can do you for!"

[Pabappa]

I've always preferred the clever "wolf in wool" instead of the much more common "wolf in sheep's clothing", and even briefly used it as a name online. I can, if nothing else, keep using it myself since I enjoy having a distinctive writing and speech style.

[Linguoboy]

"...what I can do you for!"

My dad said that his whole life!

[Vijay]

"...what I can do you for!"

My dad said that his whole life!

Which is kind of my point. Neither of these usages is so unusual at all (although I can't resist the polysemy of "do you for" ).

[Linguoboy]

And she said while the workers have banned together to help each other, she said she feels largely abandoned by the parent company.

I can’t tell if this is a malapropism, a typo, or if some speakers have reanalysed “band together” as “ban together”.

[Vijay]

And she said while the workers have banned together to help each other, she said she feels largely abandoned by the parent company.

I can’t tell if this is a malapropism, a typo, or if some speakers have reanalysed “band together” as “ban together”.

I think it's reanalysis. This is common enough that I easily found a page criticizing it (the usual "stop writing it this way it should be this other way" sort of article).