She listens to opera on the tube.

[GeneD]

She listens to opera on the tube. ​(from exercises)

I've found the meaning "television" for the word "tube". Does "tube" mean only TV? When I stumbled upon it, I thought, at first, that it was "youtube".

 

[Raymott]

I thought of the London underground. What's the source?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube

 

[GeneD]

Sentence #17 at http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/verbs-and-prepositions-exercise-1.html
Definition #6 here https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/tube#tube__19

 

[Raymott]

No, by 'source', I meant "Where does the sentence come from?" If it's from the same place as the 'pub' question, then it could be British. Is there anything in the surrounding context of the question that might give a clue about the intended meaning of "tube".

 

[GeneD]

If it's from the same place as the 'pub' question, then it could be British.

Yes, it's from there.

Is there anything in the surrounding context of the question that might give a clue about the intended meaning of "tube".

Unfortunately, only this single sentence.

 

[GeneD]

Do you think that it's about the Underground?

 

[Raymott]

I have no idea. But the British call television the 'tube'. Also, the underground is the 'Tube' with a capital. So, I'd guess TV. (But I'm not a Brit).

 

[Rover_KE]

I haven't heard anybody at all call TV 'the tube' for at least 50 years.

 

[emsr2d2]

Many Brits wouldn't bother capitalising "Tube" when talking about London Underground.

I go to work by tube.

I'm fairly certain that the exercise means that she listens to opera (hopefully through earphones!) while travelling on London Underground.

 

[GoesStation]

A further clue is the choice of listen as the verb. Some Americans used to say they listened to something on TV but it's very old fashioned today. I don't know whether that usage is or was common in British English.

 

[Roman55]

As the website author says that she is 'a British native speaker of English' and that she lives in London, there is a fair chance that she's talking about the London Underground.

 

[Raymott]

Oops. how could I have missed that! Sorry GeneD.
But I guessed right anyway (at least we think so).

 

[GeneD]

And not long ago I was wondering about the differences between AE and BE!

Thanks to all of you. It was a nice investigation, don't you think so?

 

[Tarheel]

And not long ago I was wondering about the differences between AE and BE!

Thanks to all of you. It was a nice investigation, don't you think so?

Maybe you mean to say it was an interesting conversation.

 

[GeneD]

Maybe you mean to say it was an interesting conversation.

I just wanted to say that this conversation resembles a detective story. But you are right, it was really interesting.

Do you mean it doesn't fit here, the word "investigation"? I said it jokingly, but now I'm not sure if it fits even in this context.

 

[Tarheel]

We uncovered the facts and solved the mystery?

 

[GeneD]

Well, if taken not too literally, then "yes". To me, of course. But you seem to disagree.

 

[Tarheel]

No, I don't disagree. In fact, that's a good way to put it.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

To this American, on the tube always means on TV.

 

[SoothingDave]

And we would watch things on the tube. I've never heard anyone say they listened to something on TV.