Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 08:20:57 -0800

From: Allen Maberry maberry[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]U.WASHINGTON.EDU

Subject: Re: Bank machines



I use and regularly hear the term "cash machine" in the Northwest; a

holdover no doubt from the time when that's about the only service they

provided. I also hear "bank machine" but rarely "ATM".

Allen

maberry[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]u.washington.edu



On Tue, 16 Jan 1996, Salikoko S. Mufwene wrote:



In England (I know this is the American dialect society, but what

the hell) I have never heard anyone refer to bank machines as "ATM"s,

although I understood the abbreviation when I read it. They are most

commonly, in my experience, referred to as "cash machines" or "cash

points", or as the "hole in the wall". I think this latter term may be

dialectal (Lancashire), although I am not entirely sure, and people

from my area would pronounce it "'ole i' t'wall". (...)

Are any of these terms (especially the latter) used in America

(or other parts of England, if there's any other British

subscribers)?



The term "cash station" is commonly used in Chicago. I think it is used

both as a trade mark, like Cirrus (?), and a generic term for any ATM

machine. Never paid much attention to it, but your question helped me think

of this.



Sali.

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Salikoko S. Mufwene s-mufwene[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]uchicago.edu

University of Chicago 312-702-8531; FAX: 312-702-9861

Department of Linguistics

1010 East 59th Street

Chicago, IL 60637

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