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May 16, 2008 11:27
16 yrs ago
6 viewers *
English term

call with somebody

English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
"Maria is unsure how often he would visit as she claims that he doesn’t call with her. Brian has also advised that he is never tempted to call with Maria. Maria is not concerned that this poses additional risk to her safety."

He/Brian is Maria's ex-boyfriend, and the text is a report written by a social worker in Northern Ireland following an incident of domestic violence but since the language is rather informal, I have decided to post it in the "General" category rather than "Law".

Is "call with" here the same as "visit/call round/call on"?

M
Responses
3 +3 visit/call on
4 +4 phone someone
4 doesn't contact her
3 COMMENT ONLY [NFG]
3 COMMENT ONLY (NFG)
2 -1 speak/communicate/cooperate with someone

Discussion

Alison MacG May 19, 2008:
This is a confusing one, isn't it? I now believe the reference I found actually uses "call with" in the sense of "phone" and I therefore agree with David's answer.
@ Carol: Hi Carol, close, but I'm actually Scottish.
Carol Gullidge May 19, 2008:
...but it looks as though Alison just answered that (sorry Alison!)
Carol Gullidge May 19, 2008:
Sorry, that was supposed to read "UK English" (not UN!), but I was wondering if "call with" cd be an IRISH expression (as opposed to US).

Any Irish out there...?
Alison MacG May 19, 2008:
Reference for "call with" used in the sense of visit in NI:
http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:BA0D09liRt8J:www.ulidia...
Carol Gullidge May 16, 2008:
Hmmm: I've never heard "call with" in standard UN English - is it possibly some Northern Irish usage? Could it simply be that they have nothing to do with each other - no contact, as you say?
maciejm (asker) May 16, 2008:
There is one more sentence before the above fragment that is important:
" In addition concerns exist that some of Brian's friends live next door to Maria." Therefore, "visit"= "visit his friends" and "this" = "the fact that he might visit his friends.
So perhaps it is just that he does not phone or contact her otherwise?
M

Responses

+3
8 mins
Selected

visit/call on

This I believe is US English and entails physically "visiting" someone versus phoning or writing.
HTH:-)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs (2008-05-16 22:33:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In response to comments from Brett and Ruth and for the benefit of all concerned, I'd like to add the following:

I might be mistaken as to this being US English, though I was fairly sure it was. That said, I still hold to my answer since I know I've heard such usage and I'm quite sure that this is the meaning. I would NEVER wittingly mislead an asker. In the past 30 years, I've travelled to my native Ireland [born in Dublin]almost as many times, visiting friends in Belfast and Dungannon [Northern Ireland] as well. So, perhaps I picked it up there, I can't be sure.

I'm trying to get further info. and if I succeed, I'll post it...regardless of whether I'm right or wrong.

Regards
Terry

Peer comment(s):
agree BdiL : From my experience in the US you are right,sir. Also pay a call on(where others would say pay a visit)
9 mins
Thank you, BdiL:-)
neutral BrettMN : This isn't US English, unless it's some kind of colloquial southern (?) speech element. Note that the author is from Northern Ireland. I've never heard "call with" in US English.
3 hrs
Thanks, Brett. Please see my added notes:-)
agree Nelida Kreer : Localization considerations apart, Terry, I tend to agree with yr view, that this refers to visiting and not phoning. Don't think that phoning would entail a risk to Maria's safety.....Saludos.
3 hrs
Thank you so much, Niki..y saludos:-))
neutral Refugio : This isn't US English.
8 hrs
Thanks, Ruth. Please see my added notes:-)
neutral Ken Cox : with Brett and Ruth -- not US English IMO, unless a sociolect, and anyhow the asker said that the source is Northern Ireland.
10 hrs
Thanks, Ken. Please my added notes:-)
agree JPW (X) : Terry, you got it: a typical expression from NI, probably a lazy Irish way of saying 'call IN on' someone; but def. used here a LOT.
22 hrs
Thank you very much, John Paul! Slán agus beannacht:-) I
neutral David Moore (X) : Nowhere in the site you quote does it state that "call with" means "visit". To me, it is simply the initial contact, which is almost certainly by telephone. And since I have posted, I modify my "disagree" to neutral
2 days 22 hrs
Thank you, David:-)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you all very much for your help. M"
+4
2 hrs

phone someone

Although the expression certainly does have an American flavour, as Carol says (and I've never heard it in UK usage either), logic tells me that is must mean "phones me", in view of the immediately preceding reference to "visits". There is no reason in the world to use two totally different terms meaning the same thing within the space of only a few words.
Peer comment(s):
neutral BrettMN : Why does it have an "American flavour"? I invite you to find any outside evidence that "call with" is an Americanism. Moreover, the asker has stated the user of this phrase is from N Ireland.
55 mins
Two points: an aunt of mine who spent most of her life in the states used "call with" of phoning; and though the user may be working in NI, no-one knows where (s)he originates from. In any event, see Tony M's comment below.
agree Tony M : Yes, I believe this is an Irish usage, which I've always understood to mean 'to be in phone contact with' (they don't call each other)
1 hr
agree Refugio : clearly seems to mean phoning back and forth, since visit is mentioned separately
6 hrs
agree Mehmet Hascan
9 hrs
neutral Egil Presttun : If "call with" doesn't mean "visit", that still doesn't directly imply "phone", as there are other options of what "call with" could mean. Also, such a logical conclusion based on only one sentence is not enough to be sure.
12 hrs
Please don't be offended, Egil, if I suggest the UK ENS has a different perception from a non-ENS, but there are many other ways your alternative communications could (and probably would) have been expressed.
disagree JPW (X) : Logic tells me it has nothing to do with phonoing anyone: this is not mentioned in the text. The phrase is a typical one from the north of Ireland.
19 hrs
Don't be so free with your disagrees when you have no concrete justification - why should the writer use "visit" just a couple of words before???
agree Alison MacG : Sorry David, you're absolutely right - I was just about to correct my post, even before your disagree. If the complaint can't be made in writing, they will "phone" (call with) the tenant and this will be followed up by a "visit".
2 days 19 hrs
agree Carol Gullidge : ie, they don't keep in touch with each other
2 days 19 hrs
Something went wrong...
-1
9 hrs

speak/communicate/cooperate with someone

To be on wavelength with and speak/communicate/cooperate with someone. To chat and to enjoy someone's company. To meet and come to terms with someone.

Here: He doesn't wanna talk to her. The relationship isn't as good as it once was.


I couldn't get this case out of my head, so I did lot's of Googling:

http://patchofpuddles.co.uk/?p=1285
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4171977.stm
http://thomsinger.blogspot.com/2007/10/is-rude-your-rule.htm...
http://www.eurogamer.net/forum_thread_posts.php?thread_id=80...
http://www.mybrethren.org/history/framulst.htm
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~aholgate/jm/unbltarchtexts/unblta...
http://www.vflfooty.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtop...
http://www.celebheights.com/s/Sylvester-Stallone-347.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/TV--Radio/A-true-calling/2005/...
http://www.catholicireland.net/pages/index.php?nd=57&art=694
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewpro...
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Nicholas_Nickleby/Chapter_24



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2008-05-17 10:24:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

You may do a page search on “call with” on the pages I’ve linked to in order to quickly see 12 samples of natural use of the phrase.
Peer comment(s):
disagree JPW (X) : The answer lies in the very first phrase that the asker quotes above.
12 hrs
Thanks for your point of view (that it means visit). I would guess this is short for "Visit someone to call with him/her". Otherwise, it's hard to make it fit with my 12 samples of use.
neutral Tony M : The BBC ref. you quote (#2 above) uses 'call with' in a completely different sense again, nothing to do with either phoning OR visiting! / #3 is all about PHONE calls
2 days 12 hrs
Thanks for contributing!
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2 days 6 hrs

doesn't contact her

I think the language is a bit diminished
Something went wrong...
2 days 22 hrs

COMMENT ONLY [NFG]

Alison has raised an interesting point in her ATA note baove, and whetted my curiosity.

Although the specific reference Alsion quotes above remains ambiguous, a quick Google search certainly reveals some examples where 'call with' seems unmistakeably to imply 'visit'; here's one where it clearly couldn't really mean 'phone':

Easy to Read finall.ps, page 1-16 @ Normalize ( Easy to Read New )

may have to call with you at home if you cannot get. into the building because you are .... The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland can give advice and ...

www.equalityni.org/archive/pdf/easytoread(R).pdf

But of course, there are lots of constructions where the collocation 'call with' may be fortuitous — 'to call (in/on)' can of course often mean 'to pay a visit to', and so it is not unlikely that one will encounter 'to call with (samples, etc.)'

Egil's second (BBC) reference is an interesting case, again, where the juxtaposition of 'call' and 'with' is entirely accidental — in this case, it is a different meaning again of 'call' — in this instance, meaning 'to predict OR decide about', as in "it's a hard call"

I'm quite fascinated by this one, and the fact that it is so tricky to research because of the numerous red herrings.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Egil Presttun : It wouldn't surprise me if the expression can have different meanings depending on where in the world you are. Makes it even more tricky.
51 mins
Thanks, Egil! Indeed, yes, that too is a possibility, and I note that some of your refs come from AU.
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3 days 1 hr

COMMENT ONLY (NFG)

Like Tony, I have become increasingly fascinated by this question. If you do a Google search for "to call with you", many of the 99 hits lead to sites in NI. Although there are a few where the usage remains ambiguous and could be read as either "phone" or "visit", the vast majority actually use "to call with" in a sense that can only mean a phsyical visit, e.g. estate agents coming to do a valuation, salesmen coming to demonstrate a product, workmen coming to carry out repairs, etc.

Example 1

To arrange a free valuation or rental appraisal of your property ,without obligation, please complete this form and we will contact you to arrange a suitable time one of our valuers or lettings managers to call with you.
http://www.mcclearys.co.uk/financial.htm

They are offering to contact you (by phone or email) to arrange for someone to "call with you" (visit). They wouldn't need to phone to arrange for someone to phone.

Example 2

We have been in business for over 30 years and have gained enormous experience in product & service. Although based in Belfast we have an experienced team of agents throughout the UK who would be pleased to call with you at your convenience. Our small and efficient office staff are also at your disposal for any enquiries that you may have.
http://www.palmeragencies.com/

If they were using "call with you" to mean phone, it wouldn't matter where their agents are based. The agents throughout the UK will "visit" you and the office staff will deal with phone enquiries.

It therefore seems to me that "to call with you" is used in both senses in NI, but that the "visit" option is more common. Whether this applies in the asker's case is another matter ... I have now reached the point where I really can't decide one way or the other.
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