Both sides now (back and forth?)
By ingrid
@ridingbet (66854)
Philippines
March 16, 2016 2:04am CST
I was ‘exploring’ the site for new discussions and I read the title of one, and I thought of a common mistake my students commit when they bring a sheet of document to be photocopied.
Even when I tell my learners to copy both sides of the 2 documents (“notes on documentation, obsolete terms when writing nurses’ notes”, etc) in their logbooks, they would always ask me, “Ma’am, back and forth?” to which I respond, “It is back and front, dear student”.
Notice how others request the person who photocopies a document and observe how they respond: Is it correct, or they say, “photocopy back and forth”?
Just my “weird” way of saying “happy afternoon, everyone”!
15 people like this
18 responses
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
yes, round trip is better than back and forth. hahaha!
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502391)
• Italy
17 Mar 16
@ridingbet I feel better today, I have no more pain. How are you? Do you feel better?
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
yes, even the pupils should know which one is right and not. thanks for coming, my friend, how are you?
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@LadyDuck i feel well now, thank God. I had my check-up this afternoon, and I just arrived home.
1 person likes this
@mammots (3209)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
If it were me they were asking "back and forth maam" i would probably be the one to have the documents photocopied.
I usually have my documents photocopied in National Bookstore or in NS Ocana but i have never been asked this ...hmmm ... super funny question
. The operator of the copier would usually ask " you want both sides copied maam?" or " back to back copies maam?"
I usually have my documents photocopied in National Bookstore or in NS Ocana but i have never been asked this ...hmmm ... super funny question. The operator of the copier would usually ask " you want both sides copied maam?" or " back to back copies maam?"3 people like this
@mammots (3209)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
@ridingbet If it were me in your shoes ...i would find it very hard to control my laughter when a student or students would ask " back and forth maam" 
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
that is better too. or both sides is also good, than back and forth. so we won't be asked if it is really a 'round trip' thingy or not.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
@mammots true, and one of my level 2 students that I handled last March 1st told me if she should write her case study in her logbook 'back and forth pages', and I nearly burst into laughter but instead, I told her, "YES, Ms. Agu, back and forth".
2 people like this
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
I don't know were that came from but I always request that in our language since were in the country. not even sure where the word forth come from. Happy afternoon.
3 people like this
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@ridingbet where the heck forth came from
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
back and front or front and back is the correct term, hijo, but it is always mistakenly said back and forth, even professionals say that.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@Letranknight2015 maybe from the dance instructor who says, "dance back and forth with your partner". wahahaha!
@Freelanzer (10782)
• Canada
16 Mar 16
Maybe they are referring to the many times they have to go back and forth to make the back and front photocopies
4 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
Hahah!Indeed, that could mean so too. going back and forth to have the copies xeroxed front and back. How are you?
Indeed, that could mean so too. going back and forth to have the copies xeroxed front and back. How are you?
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
16 Mar 16
I would ask for, both sides...or front and back. To me back and forth refers to where I might be going.
2 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@ridingbet I guess , that's same with saying kodak , colgate and the like .
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
good morning, my lady. yes, indeed, a funny way, but not only students say that, also some professionals.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
thanks for visiting, my friend. I hope you are fine and well wherever you are
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
well, it is always a slip of the tongue as they say, and even those who do the photocopying, my friend, they say, "ma'am, back and forth?"
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (22246)
• United States
16 Mar 16
I would say both sides or front and back. Back and forth sounds like British English to me.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (22246)
• United States
17 Mar 16
@ridingbet Maybe. I not sure. But it sound like it.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
so, is that how the British say when they want both sides of the document copied or xeroxed? back and forth? Thank you!
@brokenbee (11937)
• Philippines
19 Mar 16
I think we say "back to back" when we have it photocopied.
But our teachers laughed at us when we said we will have it "Xerox-ed".
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
20 Mar 16
I think xerox is now obsolete; photocopy is I think the preferred term now, am i right, hija?
1 person likes this
@brokenbee (11937)
• Philippines
20 Mar 16
@ridingbet Xerox is the brand Ate. Hihihi Photocopy is the correct term. =)
Well, it is also acceptable, just like Kodak or Colgate hahaha
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
that, i think, is also grammatically correct, my friend. happy afternoon as well. but as if i play mahjong if I say back to back!
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
31 Mar 16
right, but our youth here always gets the error of saying 'back and forth' instead of 'back and front', and this is also agreed upon by the person who prints the document.
1 person likes this
@Ruby3881 (1963)
• Canada
31 Mar 16
@ridingbet Is this an error in their native language, or in an acquired language? If it's an error in a non-native language, it's probably due to confusion over idioms.
If it's in the mother tongue, unfortunately what you're seeing is probably a shift in the language. I am sometimes irked by incorrect usage that has "snuck" into the English lexicon. It seems that both youth and adults just get lax about errors, and then lexicographers record words like "Irregardless" in the dictionary. Much to my chagrin....
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
I recall our History teacher, senior high, Ms. MB (+), after we pray "all for Thee" and after we greet her good morning, she usually said to us, get 1/4 sheet of paper, and then we had our10-item quiz.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
16 Mar 16
yes, this issue is also not mainly about my students, but a common notion if a document is for photocopying. try observing in a photocopying store if somebody wants his document xeroxed both sides; the most is telling the photocopier to xerox back and forth... then you will remember me, my friend. hahaha!
