Get a sunburn

[shane]

My book today (Side By Side; American English) said "Get a sunburn".
I was about to tell the teacher that we don't say "get a sunburn", when an American teacher nearby said that AE uses it.

I've never heard this in BE; we always say "get sunburn".

Is this right? Is it only used in AE?

 

[RonBee]

I would not say that "get a sunburn' is used only in the USA, but I have certainly gotten a sunburn a time or two, and it is painful.

:wink:

"get a sunburn"
http://ms101.mysearch.com/jsp/GGmain.jsp?searchfor="get+a+sunburn"

"When you get a sunburn, you're basically killing skin cells."
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question637.htm
(An interesting article on sunburn)

"Why is it that if you go out on a bright summer day and spend an hour in the sun, you get a sunburn?"
http://www.howstuffworks.com/sunscreen.htm

What happens when you get a sunburn?
http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?articleID=000A776B-73D9-1C71-9EB7809EC588F2D7

8)

 

[shane]

Thanks for that Ronbee, I wonder why I've never heard anyone say it before though? I've always heard "get sunburn" :shock: :wink:

 

[RonBee]

I would say "get sunburn" in the sentence, "Do you know why people get sunburn?"

8)

 

[shane]

I would say "get sunburn" in the sentence, "Do you know why people get sunburn?"

8)

*phew* I thought maybe I was going crazy :wink:

 

[RonBee]

:wink:

 

[Tdol]

I'd say get sunburned\sunburnt. ;- or sunburn, without the indefinite article.