[General] a picture postcard vs. a landscape picture etc.

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maoyueh

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May 28, 2011
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Retired English Teacher
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Chinese
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Taiwan
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Taiwan
As a non-native speaker, I should be careful not to speak or write Chinese English, or to be specific, not to coin English phrases. I know that a postcard with a picture on the front of it is called a picture postcard, but I need to know whether a landscape postcard, a scenery postcard, or a scenic postcard can mean the same as a picture postcard, or whether they are also natural English. Thank you.
 

emsr2d2

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Jul 28, 2009
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English Teacher
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British English
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UK
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UK
No. The phrase "picture postcard" to mean just a "postcard" is quite outdated and rarely used. These days, we just send people "a postcard" when we are on holiday.

It is, however, used sometimes to describe a particularly idyllic scene.

"The picture-postcard village of Hamden is nestled amongst the Malvern Hills and boasts a large number of tiny, thatched cottages." There, "picture-postcard" is used as an adjective.
 
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