[blml] law 65A/Wayne Burrows/English language

[Wayne Burrows]

On 23/10/2007, Wayne Burrows <wjburrows at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 23/10/2007, Guthrie <guthrie at ntlworld.com> wrote:
> > [Raija]
> > To me (I am not a native English speaker)  the word *when* here means
> > that players turn their card over  _after_ all four players have
> > played to the trick but not _before_ all players have played a card to
> > the trick. There  will always be fast players, slow players,  fast
> > observers and slow  observers.  Nothing in the laws AFAIK prevents a
> > slow observer from  inspecting the current trick, provided his own
> > card was not turned over yet.  Perhaps the law could have said "After
> > all four players have played a card"  instead of "When all four..."
> > but to me both have the same meaning except  that "after" is clearer.
> >  No time frame has been specified using either word, IMO.
> >
> > Interesting to see what native English speakers think.
> >
> > [nige1]
> > Raija's and Jeff's interpretation coincides with mine. To avoid the
> > possibility of Wayne's interpretation, I also agree that "after" would
> > be better than "when".
> >
>
> 'After' is only better because you do not like the implications of
> having the word 'when'.  'When' is perfectly adequate if the intention
> is that "When four cards have been played to a trick, each player
> turns his own card face down near him on the table".  There is nothing
> in this law or any other law that I can find that suggests that a
> deliberate delay is allowed.
>
> I am not talking about hastily turning down your card in order to try
> and hide its value or suit from the opponents but a deliberate act at
> the time 'when' the current trick has been completed.
>
> Wayne
>

Further if 'after' was intended then I can't imagine why the drafters
of the laws used 'when'.

Wayne