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don't push the envelope
sawbones
Oct 20, 2005 16:46
18 yrs ago
17 viewers *
English term

eyeglasses / spectacles / glasses

English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters eyeglasses / spectacles / glasses
Evenin' All,

Would native BE speakers have a problem understanding the word "eyeglasses".

The common term in BE is spectacles or (pair of) glasses, but would the word eyeglasses be out of place in a text intended for a purely British audience?

Over to you...
TIA.
Responses
4 +6 yes, we would understand
5 +9 eyeglass (BE and old fashioned)
4 +2 optical prescription
3 +3 avoid it
4 eyeglasses not in my circles
4 They will surely understand you but ask you back: "Do you mean "spectacles"?

Discussion

Cilian O'Tuama (asker) Oct 23, 2005:
Thanks everyone, I'll grade later (hard work, as always :-)).
BrigitteHilgner Oct 20, 2005:
Might "eyeglasses" be the translation of "Augengl�ser"? The German "Augengl�ser" includes both Brillen (spectacles, as far as I am concerned) and contact lenses.
awilliams Oct 20, 2005:
cheers
Cilian O'Tuama (asker) Oct 20, 2005:
Hi Amy - not really... I was given something to proofread, a passport-like booklet that some people carry around with them containing details on existing illnesses, information on vaccinations and x-rays, whether they're organ donors, and then some details in tabular form on any defects of vision they may have. The header reads "Eyeglasses prescription" (German Brillenpa�) and I'm wondering if it HAS to be changed. I was asked to change as little as possible.
awilliams Oct 20, 2005:
Hi Cilian - do you have any context?

Responses

+6
32 mins
Selected

yes, we would understand

Going against the others here but in the light of your context I think "eyeglasses prescription" is absolutely fine for a BE native audience. "Eyeglass prescription" would be even better, in my opinion.
Furthermore, anyone who would need to know about the holder's prescription (in this context) would be familiar with the term, so no worries.

It's fine.

Ready for the backlash...

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Note added at 36 mins (2005-10-20 17:23:01 GMT)
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"Eyeglass prescription" does pretty well on Google, too, for what it's worth. As for the alternatives, "spectacles prescription" is a no-no - I'm not sure what else you could use.

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Note added at 1 hr 28 mins (2005-10-20 18:14:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyeglass_prescription

You could hardly mistake "eyeglass prescription" on a booklet like yours for anything else.
Peer comment(s):
agree sporran
50 mins
agree carly kelly : I reckon a BE audience would understand eyeglasses perfectly.
4 hrs
cheers
agree Espoc
10 hrs
agree Rachel Fell : I think in the context of this q. it'be understood, though I wdn't use it normally: it seems to be used a lot in US (Google, anyway), I don't think it's particularly BE
15 hrs
agree Ian M-H (X) : Now that we have more context: if Asker has to change as little as possible, "eyeglass prescription" would indeed be *understood* in a document of this kind. But I'd still much prefer "spectacles prescription" if I were allowed to change it...
15 hrs
agree juvera : Perfectly acceptable.
2 days 4 hrs
cheers all
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks everyone for giving this so much thought (and for taking the trouble to come back a second or even third time). Does everyone else also think that their own Qs are the hardest of all to grade? Anyway, thanks again all round."
4 mins

eyeglasses not in my circles

spectacles / glasses yes

in UK since 1980
Something went wrong...
4 mins

They will surely understand you but ask you back: "Do you mean "spectacles"?

As far as I know
Something went wrong...
+9
4 mins

eyeglass (BE and old fashioned)

eyeglasses, old fashioned, BE but also AE
spectacles, BE and in use today
glasses, the usual AE expressions

to answer your question: no BE speakers would understand eyeglasses

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Note added at 5 mins (2005-10-20 16:51:07 GMT)
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But it depends on your context...a literary context, say 19th century is fine....

but for contemporary usage, I would not used Eyeglasses..regardless of place

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Note added at 6 mins (2005-10-20 16:52:05 GMT)
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Native AE speaker with a LOT of BE too....
Note from asker:
Thanks Jane et al., Can I assume that the "agreers" agree with your "no BE speakers would understand eyeglasses"?
Peer comment(s):
agree Helen Genevier
4 mins
thanx
agree JaneTranslates : Best to use "spectacles."
14 mins
agree Freimanis
21 mins
agree John Bowden : Eyeglasses sounds at best awkward in BE
24 mins
agree Kevin Kelly : This is fascinating. To this speaker of American English, spectacles sounds antiquated, like something from the 18th century. In the US today, eyeglasses (or simply glasses) would be the overwhelming choice.
1 hr
agree Will Matter : with KK, spot on.
2 hrs
agree Saiwai Translation Services
8 hrs
agree NancyLynn : agree with KK
18 hrs
agree Alfa Trans (X)
1 day 15 hrs
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

optical prescription

I know you don't want to change it much, but this covers glasses and contact lenses and is actually what it says on a UK prescription for eyewear (I have one here and looked).

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Note added at 1 hr 20 mins (2005-10-20 18:06:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

looking at the web it seems as though eyeglasses is used, though I wouldn't in everyday conversation; also, it sounds like an eyeglass, a highly magnifying lens such as would be used by someone like a watchmaker
Peer comment(s):
agree sporran
19 mins
Thank you
agree mportal : sounds like this is what they mean
3 hrs
Thank you:)
Something went wrong...
+3
6 mins

avoid it

My feeling is that unless the context makes it very clear then a lot of people wouldn't instantly understand what was meant - and if the context was clear they'd find it a touch quaint.

No Google backup, just my feeling as a native EE speaker ;-)

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Note added at 15 hrs 44 mins (2005-10-21 08:30:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Not that Asker has given more context, I've added an "agree" to Amy's answer. "Eyeglasses" would be *understood* by many poeople IMO (which is why I couldn't agree with Jane), but not by all and not correctly by all. When I hear "eyeglasses" I just don't immediately think of spectacles .

I'd still *much* prefer "spectacles" for a BE audience, but if changing as little as possible is a high priority then - on this document - "eyeglasses" could be left.

Peer comment(s):
agree Helen Genevier
2 mins
agree John Bowden : I agree - I always think of eyeglasses as AE, and it always makes me think of "spyglass", i.e. a telescope or something!
21 mins
agree mportal : Yes, it sounds like a monocle or something - and then it would be 'eyeglass'.
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
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