I have read a lot of news about the US over the last few years. I learned that the term "table" (i.e. "to table a discussion") in politics refers to leaving a subject for later discussion. The use isn't exclusive to politics -- indeed, any discussion can be "tabled" -- but I heard the word used a lot in politics.
When I was reading The Observer this morning, I saw mention of a UK government motion being tabled, then the article went on to discuss the ramifications of the motion being passed. I thought: "wait, I'm missing something." Why would a discussion be tabled and then proceed?
It turns out that outside of the US "tabling" a discussion means to start a discussion. This was news to me (no pun intended!).
Here are the two definitions for "tabled", collected from Google:
- British: present formally for discussion or consideration at a meeting.
- US: postpone consideration of.
The definitions are the opposite! Consider and postpone consderation. Are there more English words where the meaning are opposite in different regions or countries? I'm curious!
Tagged in words.