Plenty of Americans here to explain...so explain please.
Why are Americans obsessed with magnetic directions
Watch any US film or series
2 blocks North
East of Main Street
South Boulervard
3 clicks West
Ive never said North East West or South to anyone in a conversation in my life..
I wouldnt know where I was looking or pointing at any one given time.
From my experience Americans say North South East and West bc of the familiarity of landmarks which are extremely one direction or another.
Perhaps we're not too familiar with the names of the roads but the landmark. Depending on the vicinity of the landmark Americans can more or less find anything w/o a map (as pride won't allow the use of a map :) much of the time)
Quote from: Turner on Aug 19, 07:18 PM 2017
Plenty of Americans here to explain...so explain please.
Why are Americans obsessed with magnetic directions
Watch any US film or series
2 blocks North
East of Main Street
South Boulervard
3 clicks West
Ive never said North East West or South to anyone in a conversation in my life..
I wouldnt know where I was looking or pointing at any one given time.
Turner,
As an American, I have grown up with using the compass directions to give directions -- so I find it a very easy and natural thing to do.
Just out of curiosity, how would you Brits give the following directions (using a couple of your own examples from your quote)?
2 blocks North
East of Main Street
Quote from: DoctorSudoku on Aug 22, 03:15 AM 2017
Turner,
As an American, I have grown up with using the compass directions to give directions -- so I find it a very easy and natural thing to do.
Just out of curiosity, how would you Brits give the following directions (using a couple of your own examples from your quote)?
2 blocks North
East of Main Street
lol....
err....you know the Kings Head and the The George and Dragon pub?. Well its on that road, near the Tesco, but not as far up.
or
follow this road for a bit, left at the lights, past a big red building, think its a Halfords, then left at the church, right at the lights........and on and on and on lol
Quote from: Turner on Aug 22, 04:27 PM 2017
lol....
err....you know the Kings Head and the The George and Dragon pub?. Well its on that road, near the Tesco, but not as far up.
or
follow this road for a bit, left at the lights, past a big red building, think its a Halfords, then left at the church, right at the lights........and on and on and on lol
Turner,
Sometimes using compass directions is much simpler and more precise as in the following example:
Old Trafford is SOUTH-WEST of Emptyhad, oooops, I mean Etihad Stadium.