Why do people write Sans instead of with
Why do people write Sans instead of with
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cliffords

Original Poster:

3,570 posts

46 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
I have seen it quite a bit on here, and other platforms too.
I understand it means without not with, but usually used as with?
I was at the park sans the kids.
I have the basic spec car sans steel wheels
I had fish sans chips and curry sauce

You get the drift. What is the intention here why do they do it.

Lots on PH today hence the post. I don't speak French or write it, am I misunderstanding

Edited by cliffords on Monday 18th August 17:21


Edited by cliffords on Monday 18th August 17:27

spitfire-ian

4,091 posts

251 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
cliffords said:
I have seen it quite a bit on here, and other platforms too.

I was at the park sans the kids.
I have the basic spec car sans steel wheels
I had fish sans chips and curry sauce

You get the drift. What is the intention here why do they do it.

Lots on PH today hence the post.
Sans means without.

cliffords

Original Poster:

3,570 posts

46 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Yes I amended my post pressed send ahead of myself.
However given your corrections, it makes even less sense

andyb28

1,104 posts

141 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Not noticed it myself, but do they also write avec instead of with too? biggrin

spitfire-ian

4,091 posts

251 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
cliffords said:
Yes I amended my post pressed send ahead of myself.
However given your corrections, it makes even less sense
Because some people don't know the meaning and they think it sounds fancy. A kind of a real life Derek Trotter smile


Bluevanman

9,300 posts

216 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
spitfire-ian said:
Because some people don't know the meaning and they think it sounds fancy. A kind of a real life Derek Trotter smile
Mange tout

Glassman

24,449 posts

238 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Bluevanman said:
spitfire-ian said:
Because some people don't know the meaning and they think it sounds fancy. A kind of a real life Derek Trotter smile
Mange tout
Man get out.

Leftfootwonder

1,635 posts

81 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Quite the faux pas. Just sending this as I leave my cul-de-sac, en route to the café.


cliffords

Original Poster:

3,570 posts

46 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Leftfootwonder said:
Quite the faux pas. Just sending this as I leave my cul-de-sac, en route to the café.
Touche

Bonefish Blues

34,488 posts

246 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
It's just one of those small shorthands that has passed into relatively common use.

GetCarter

30,738 posts

302 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Sans Serif

It's the Adobe generation.

Type has or does not have serif

Just google, you'll understand.

Wills2

28,058 posts

198 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
cliffords said:
I have seen it quite a bit on here, and other platforms too.
I understand it means without not with, but usually used as with?
I was at the park sans the kids.
I have the basic spec car sans steel wheels
I had fish sans chips and curry sauce

You get the drift. What is the intention here why do they do it.

Lots on PH today hence the post. I don't speak French or write it, am I misunderstanding
Can you link to the posts as I've not seen it, but then I'd always read those at face value, I went to the park without the kids, I have a basic spec car but without the steel wheels etc...so I wouldn't notice the error without further context.

Perhaps "sans" has been added to other misused words and phrases such as damp squid, tender hooks and mute points...


Bonefish Blues

34,488 posts

246 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Search is your friend - plenty come up, both in thread titles & posts.

Ezra

882 posts

50 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Wills2 said:
Can you link to the posts as I've not seen it, but then I'd always read those at face value, I went to the park without the kids, I have a basic spec car but without the steel wheels etc...so I wouldn't notice the error without further context.

Perhaps "sans" has been added to other misused words and phrases such as damp squid, tender hooks and mute points...
'sans' further context, surely?

croyde

25,485 posts

253 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Wills2 said:
Can you link to the posts as I've not seen it, but then I'd always read those at face value, I went to the park without the kids, I have a basic spec car but without the steel wheels etc...so I wouldn't notice the error without further context.

Perhaps "sans" has been added to other misused words and phrases such as damp squid, tender hooks and mute points...
And Pedal Stool laugh

Hoofy

79,284 posts

305 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
If you mean "instead of without" then probably because it makes it more interesting to read and type, I guess.

If you mean "instead of with" then probably because the above but they don't speak French.

Or the word has now been bastardised and is actually used instead of "with" rather than "without". Also see the first sentence.

biggrin

Let's face it, we all use a little bit of flowery language. It makes reading things more interesting. "The 911 Turbo was very fast" compared to "The 911 Turbo shifted faster than Donald Trump finding out that the Epstein files had accidentally been released into the public domain." biggrin

AmyRichardson

1,884 posts

65 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
4 key strikes plays 7, plus additional savings often made by omitting the determiner (e.g. "sans wife" vs. "sans my wife") which really is a mystery, and a bit Trotter, as French doesn't work like that.


Bill

57,199 posts

278 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Wills2 said:
Can you link to the posts as I've not seen it, but then I'd always read those at face value, I went to the park without the kids, I have a basic spec car but without the steel wheels etc...so I wouldn't notice the error without further context.

Perhaps "sans" has been added to other misused words and phrases such as damp squid, tender hooks and mute points...
This, I've never read "sans" and thought they meant with.

LunarOne

6,841 posts

160 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
If anyone's been using sans to mean "with", then it must be the same people who use "could care less" to mean "don't care at all" and who use "entree" to mean "main course"...

andyb28

1,104 posts

141 months

Monday 18th August 2025
quotequote all
Wills2 said:
Can you link to the posts as I've not seen it, but then I'd always read those at face value, I went to the park without the kids, I have a basic spec car but without the steel wheels etc...so I wouldn't notice the error without further context.

Perhaps "sans" has been added to other misused words and phrases such as damp squid, tender hooks and mute points...
Also like a Moo point, Cows opinion doesnt matter.