mail call
2
6.1
- noun
- /meɪl kɔl/
- Jargon
:
reparto de correo
- During mail call, the officer called out names one by one as the troops gathered to receive their letters and packages.
Examples
-
Birch looked up to see Ellis in his corner observing the same holy ritual of mail call.
Fiction book (1992) -
You ever not miss mail call, Enders?
-
Just had mail call and got a tape from the folks.
Blog text (22) -
I'll see you next mail call.
-
Mail call was a slice of home.
Fiction book (1992) -
This morning, new troops were being sent to the front to relieve the men of Company C. Birch thought about mail call behind the lines.
Fiction book (1992) -
Every day at the base, the soldiers eagerly await mail call to hear if they will receive letters from home.
-
The mood was cheerful at mail call as everyone exchanged stories about the letters they had received.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'mail call' is directly compositional: combining 'mail' (post items) with 'call' (an event of summoning or announcing) yields an event when recipients are called to receive mail. This follows a common English naming pattern (like 'roll call') and is readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Mail call comes from a simple scene in places like army barracks or prisons, where someone called out names and people came forward to take their mail at the call. So, mail call means 'the time when mail is handed out'.