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shipping, ¿a typo?

English translation: YES

14:59 Aug 12, 2002
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Marketing
English term or phrase: shipping, ¿a typo?
I have this sentence:

"Commercial negative ion generators are sold and installed in offices and shipping areas to improve people's spirits and make them more productive"

Do you think it should say 'shopping' or does it make full sense to you as it is? I cannot join the author of the sentence ...

Thanks for your opinions.
Patricia Posadas
Spain
Local time: 15:34
Selected answer:YES
Explanation:
It is almost certainly a typo. Well spotted!!!

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Note added at 2002-08-12 15:08:12 (GMT)
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\"Shipping areas\" are stretches of open sea such as Bite and Dogger, used in weather forecasts and warnings for maritime vessels - I very much doubt that these ionisers would do much to improve the mood of a sea captain in a storm!

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Note added at 2002-08-12 15:57:17 (GMT)
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shipping areas just could refer to warehousing (though shipping bays or departments would sound more natural) as e-rich and Klaus have pointed out... so more context is needed.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-12 15:57:40 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

shipping areas just could refer to warehousing (though shipping bays or departments would sound more natural) as e-rich and Klaus have pointed out... so more context is needed.
Selected response from:

Libero_Lang_Lab
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:34
Grading comment
Thank you all. In fact I just wanted to see if 'shipping areas' were an usual term or if that sentence sounded "very" natural to English native speakers.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +6YES
Libero_Lang_Lab
5 +1shopping
Sue Goldian
4 +1shipping vs. shopping
Klaus Herrmann
4 +1distribution company
jerrie
4it can be either
swisstell
4Shopping
Antonio Camangi


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +6
YES


Explanation:
It is almost certainly a typo. Well spotted!!!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-12 15:08:12 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"Shipping areas\" are stretches of open sea such as Bite and Dogger, used in weather forecasts and warnings for maritime vessels - I very much doubt that these ionisers would do much to improve the mood of a sea captain in a storm!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-12 15:57:17 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

shipping areas just could refer to warehousing (though shipping bays or departments would sound more natural) as e-rich and Klaus have pointed out... so more context is needed.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-12 15:57:40 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

shipping areas just could refer to warehousing (though shipping bays or departments would sound more natural) as e-rich and Klaus have pointed out... so more context is needed.

Libero_Lang_Lab
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:34
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 137
Grading comment
Thank you all. In fact I just wanted to see if 'shipping areas' were an usual term or if that sentence sounded "very" natural to English native speakers.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  vixen: shopping makes more sense, indeed
7 mins
  -> If I owned a house I'd be willing to stake it on this!
agree  Sue Goldian: Well, you couldn't be more right either :-))
8 mins
  -> Well I think you were righter than me (but I was just quicker on the buzzer!)
neutral  Klaus Herrmann: Hmm, how do those productive shoppers fit into the picture ?
14 mins
  -> You have a good point my friend - it would not be great English that is for sure.
agree  Cristina Moldovan do Amaral
32 mins
agree  jerrie
35 mins
  -> I know what you meant: I feel well and truly "neutral-ized"!
agree  Jack Doughty: A slightly different typo, and it could mean installing them in WCs, where ionizing the air might be a good idea!
1 hr
  -> Yes, s**t I hadn't thought of that... maybe we've all got it completely wrong!
agree  Kanta Rawat (X): It needs to be made more clear, otherwise shopping gives the more appropriate sense.
14 hrs
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
shopping


Explanation:
Shopping makes perfect sense here, whereas shipping does not.

Sue Goldian
Local time: 17:34
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Libero_Lang_Lab: You couldn't be more right
2 mins
  -> Thanks Dan. Don't you hate it when you see that no answers have been proposed, so you go and propose one and when it appears you see that someone else has already given the same answer?
neutral  jerrie: Sorry, meant to do neutral to Dan, too. Shipping is possible (shipping bays/areas). Productive shopping areas...sounds a bit odd!
37 mins
  -> No problem. I think the idea here is that happy, relaxed shoppers will be more likely to spend more money, and that's the reason for installing those things in shopping areas.
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
shipping vs. shopping


Explanation:
Depends on what you document describes. If it's a company environment, a shipping dept. makes perfect sense. If your document talks about buildings in general, it could mean shopping. I think you should have more evidence than this single occurence of shipping to assume a typo.

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Note added at 2002-08-12 15:34:51 (GMT)
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Just a few examples:
Keep front office, shipping areas and common areas neat and free of clutter; (http://www.bkpub.com/job/oa.html)
.. total solutions system including equipment for receiving/shipping
areas, ... (http://www.swisslognorthamerica.com/industries.htm)
... Security Procedures for Receiving and Shipping Areas (http://www-group.slac.stanford.edu/pur/pdf/PartIV.pdf)
moving receiving, storage, production, or shipping areas closer to work production areas ... (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/eptbtr9.html, wow, the CDC :-)



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Note added at 2002-08-12 16:06:12 (GMT)
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Given your context, I think I\'d probably replace \"shipping area\" by \"other areas\"...

Klaus Herrmann
Germany
Local time: 16:34
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 147

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Libero_Lang_Lab: I can just see all those happy sailors now
2 mins
  -> :-) Not to object to happy sailors, but there are occurences of shipping area being used in this meaning (U.S. sites)
neutral  Sue Goldian: A shipping department would not be referred to as a shipping area, IMHO.
10 mins
  -> That's right. It _should_ not be referred to as shipping area...
agree  jerrie: I see we've found the same link!
43 mins
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
it can be either


Explanation:
most probably a typo and meaning SHOPPING, as you surmise. However,
reading the office part, there could also be the warehousing part of an enterprise i.e. the SHIPPING part.

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 16:34
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in pair: 170

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Libero_Lang_Lab: far fetched I feel... if it's shipping then I'm a Dutchman, as the old expression goes
2 mins
neutral  Sue Goldian: I don't think a warehousing part of an enterprise would be called a shipping area.
8 mins
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
distribution company


Explanation:
If this is talking about companies who export/distribute products, then shipping could be correct.

to ship: to dispatch, to send off

Generators are sold and installed in the offices and dispatch/warehousing/distribution areas to...

I think in the context of the sentence, this actually makes more sense than 'shopping', since I would not link productive with shopping/more with working.

Improve the spirits of the office staff and the dispatch staff to enable them to work harder.

Just a thought
hth

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Note added at 2002-08-12 15:49:30 (GMT)
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www.swisslognorthamerica.com/industries.htm
High-bay warehousing was installed by Swisslog to accommodate the growing production. Pfizer now has a total solutions system including equipment for receiving/shipping areas, warehouse, production, packing and shipping areas and central automated palletizing.

Shipping areas/shipping bays..

jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:34
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 773

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Libero_Lang_Lab: I'm off to buy a basic dutch grammar, just in case you're right... I feel a bout of hydrophobia coming on Jerrie :-)))
3 mins
  -> Maybe time to hunt out those clogs...maybe not
agree  Monica Colangelo
2 hrs
  -> Thanks
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Shopping


Explanation:
It could be actually either way: shipping or shopping and both make sense. More, I would rather say "humor" to replace "spirits".
Good look

Antonio Camangi
Local time: 16:34
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in pair: 3

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Libero_Lang_Lab: And I would replace the spirits with wine and beer
2 mins
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