Lend v borrow

[Seymour5]

Seen today on a printed advertisement outside our local Cash Converters, ‘We borrow money on anything’.

That is actually the complete opposite of what they do, isn’t it it?

Yes.

There was a thread I looked at earlier today where the op used borrow instead of lend and it totally confused everyone but I find this is very common in real life (along with bought/brought).

@saveforthat I saw this thread too and was surprised that so many people misunderstood OP.
However I agree with @Seymour5 that in her example it’s the complete opposite.

@saveforthati also saw this thread, and totally understand the difference between borrow and lend. I actually think posters were being cruel and picking up on the OPs language skills. We all knew what she meant, as did you.

@saveforthat

yes, I saw that thread too and thought that that's what this thread was going to be about. Yes, she used the wrong word, (as is common in many parts of the country), but from her context, it was perfectly obvious what she meant, people were just being arseholes pretending not to understand🙄🙄🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

@Seymour5 in a 'business' (if you can call it that) it's unacceptable, no matter where they are in the country!!

I realise some people will use it the wrong way in conversation, but this was a professionally printed sign for a multi branch business. I would expect it to be correct.

At the risk of a flaming, I’d suggest Cash Converters are addressing their audience

I saw that thread and also didn’t understand it, which parts of the country are borrow and lend switched?

I genuinely hadn’t heard of this until today.

I was about to mention that, I thought this thread was going to be about that thread

It’s a regional variant. I’ve heard many people use ‘borrow’ to mean ‘lend’. Where was this Cashconverters OP?

Well, she had inverted two standard English terms, so it’s hardly surprising people misunderstood the entire thrust of her post? I grasped what she meant, but only for the same reason that I overlook people using ‘floor’ to mean outdoor ‘ground’.

Did anybody spot ‘saw’ thumb ?

off topic though. Sorry

In South Yorkshire. l don’t think it’s specific to this region, I’ve heard it in various places.

This one particularly grates on me. I have heard it in Liverpool.

"Can I lend a tenner?" meaning "Can I borrow a tenner?" or "Will you lend me a tenner?"

The word 'lend' to me is the person doing a favour, they are in the better position. The word 'borrow' is for the person in need, who is in the worse position.

So if you say 'lend' instead of 'borrow', it is like you are trying to kid yourself, and the other person, that you are not really in the worse position. You are kind of disguising your need, by using the word for the better-off position.
It smacks of falsity and an inability to be humble.

Or is that just me being oversensitive?

That is a really bizarre and judgmental thought process. It is regional/colloquial language that has been used for generations.

That makes no sense to me.

“Will you lend me your pen?” What should it be, and why is that wrong?

<scouser>

Nothing wrong with it. “Will you lend me…” was said by @EuclidianGeometryFan in the post you quote, along with “Can I borrow ..” as the correct way to ask. It’s “can I lend your pen?” that is wrong.