"Can you give me a cover?" is a perplexing question. The person asking it could seem well-protected from the elements, clothed and not in immediate need of an alibi. They will not even be holding anything that may seem in need of covering - i.e. a book, a dish or a sleeping child.
If you've ever been asked this question, here's a hint: the person is not asking for a lid, shelter, an alibi, a baby blanket, a shawl etc. A cover is the word used to replace a plastic bag/grocery bag/plastic packet.
Covers may be large or small, plain or bear logos, transparent or opaque - their only unifying factor is that fact that they (may) be plastic and have handles. So, when someone asks you for a cover, you will generally have no real clue what type of cover you should produce.
Sometimes the word cover is preceded by a defining characteristic such as plastic, large or strong. This makes it slightly easier to understand what the person requires of the cover, but still leaves you with no clue about why he wants a cover in the first place.
Ever enamored of the redundant, Hinglish speakers have begun to replace the word cover with the word carry bag. Carry bag, over-specified in case you have ever used a bag for something other than carrying, or carried many things without a bag, is used in much the same way as cover but is not only confined to plastic/disposable bags. Although descriptive enough to leaves less room for doubt about its purpose, the word still gives you no clue about what properties the desired carry bag should possess. In these situations, it is always best to check before producing one that is too big/small/thin/transparent/opaque.
If you've ever been asked this question, here's a hint: the person is not asking for a lid, shelter, an alibi, a baby blanket, a shawl etc. A cover is the word used to replace a plastic bag/grocery bag/plastic packet.
Covers may be large or small, plain or bear logos, transparent or opaque - their only unifying factor is that fact that they (may) be plastic and have handles. So, when someone asks you for a cover, you will generally have no real clue what type of cover you should produce.
Sometimes the word cover is preceded by a defining characteristic such as plastic, large or strong. This makes it slightly easier to understand what the person requires of the cover, but still leaves you with no clue about why he wants a cover in the first place.
Ever enamored of the redundant, Hinglish speakers have begun to replace the word cover with the word carry bag. Carry bag, over-specified in case you have ever used a bag for something other than carrying, or carried many things without a bag, is used in much the same way as cover but is not only confined to plastic/disposable bags. Although descriptive enough to leaves less room for doubt about its purpose, the word still gives you no clue about what properties the desired carry bag should possess. In these situations, it is always best to check before producing one that is too big/small/thin/transparent/opaque.
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