CRICKET AND USING NOUNS AS ADJECTIVES

Grammatical purists are a dying breed in these days of “Ebonics”, “postmodernism” and the like but for the small band who are left I have been reflecting on when it is that one may use a noun as an adjective. The best known example is from cricket. When England puts a team together to play Australia (generally with some difficulty), we speak of the England team, not the English team. Why? It’s obvious. Every village in England has a cricket team so there are thousands of English cricket teams -- but there is only one England team. An English cricket team is comprised of Englishmen. The England cricket team represents England. Clear? It should be but there is a small hitch. No-one ever refers to an Australia cricket team. The England team always plays “Australia” or “the Australians”! I think I know why .......

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