"Site unseen" or "sight unseen" - which is it?

Which is correct?

  • Site unseen

    Votes: 10 15.9%
  • Sight unseen

    Votes: 39 61.9%
  • Mate, get over it, there are more important things to worry about

    Votes: 14 22.2%

  • Total voters
    63
  • Poll closed .
If it's a contract, I'd use "site unseen". "Sight" can be argued: what has been sighted (a boat, a house, a dog)?
 
If it's a contract, I'd use "site unseen". "Sight" can be argued: what has been sighted (a boat, a house, a dog)?

Yes, but you can buy the site sight unseen. If you buy [insert any noun here] without going to look at it, you're buying it sight unseen. Nothing to do with contracts or law, it's the English language in all its quirkiness.

You wouldn't say ''I bought it car unseen'' or ''I bought it shoes unseen''. The word ''sight'' replaces the noun that is being bought. Using ''site'' instead is just a mis-spelling, nothing more.
 
Yes, but you can buy the site sight unseen
Course you can (and correct) - you're combining both forms though, the thread topic is site unseen OR sight unseen :D

Nothing to do with contracts or law, it's the English language in all its quirkiness

You wouldn't say ''I bought it car unseen''
I merely stated my preference IF it's a contract and I cant use "car sight unseen" (less gap for misinterpretation = better).
 
OK, so I'm a whinger and a pedant (great combination!!)

But I've noticed that both "site unseen" and "sight unseen" are used to describe buying something (particularly property, obviously) without viewing it.

My preference is "site unseen" - as in, "I haven't seen the site".

But I can also understand "sight unseen", particularly for a non-property purchase, like a vehicle. As in, "I haven't had a sight of [thing]".

So which is it?

Yes; there are more important things to worry about (option 3 in poll).

Lets all just use the spellchecker, just use the calculator, just think about going on a diet and just think about doing some exercise, just turn up for work a few minutes late each day and leave a couple of minutes early, who cares about one ciggy butt out the window....etc.

Let's just undermine all the great things we humans have created - like the English language for one - by stealth and laziness and indifference.

For the record, I voted "sight unseen" - using the context of the visual as is the traditional use of that term.

You can use "site unseen" as well of course as it relates to a property site.

Where it would be incorrect is in the use of say; buying a car on ebay - it would need to be "sight unseen".

But who cares, right?
 
Yes; there are more important things to worry about (option 3 in poll).

Lets all just use the spellchecker, just use the calculator, just think about going on a diet and just think about doing some exercise, just turn up for work a few minutes late each day and leave a couple of minutes early, who cares about one ciggy butt out the window....etc.

Let's just undermine all the great things we humans have created - like the English language for one - by stealth and laziness and indifference.

For the record, I voted "sight unseen" - using the context of the visual as is the traditional use of that term.

You can use "site unseen" as well of course as it relates to a property site.

Where it would be incorrect is in the use of say; buying a car on ebay - it would need to be "sight unseen".

But who cares, right?

:rolleyes: whatever....
 
OK, so I'm a whinger and a pedant (great combination!!)

But I've noticed that both "site unseen" and "sight unseen" are used to describe buying something (particularly property, obviously) without viewing it.

My preference is "site unseen" - as in, "I haven't seen the site".

No, if you haven't sighted the site. It's sight unseen. Or an "unseen site". It's never a "site unseen" - that's bad grammar. In this case it would be written "...[a] site that is unseen".
 
No, if you haven't sighted the site. It's sight unseen. Or an "unseen site". It's never a "site unseen" - that's bad grammar. In this case it would be written "...[a] site that is unseen".
In both cases, "site" or "sight" is acting as a noun, substituting for "the thing you bought", so I don't see how "site unseen" is any worse than "sight unseen", grammatically. Or am I missing your point? :confused:

This is so interesting, seeing the different positions people hold, and who cares and who doesn't, and why they care or don't care. :D
 
In both cases, "site" or "sight" is acting as a noun, substituting for "the thing you bought", so I don't see how "site unseen" is any worse than "sight unseen", grammatically. Or am I missing your point? :confused:

Sight is a verb in this case. :)

Where's my English professor when you need him?!? :p
 
Sight is a verb in this case. :)
I'm going to disagree; I'm with WinstonWolfe (has to happen now and again ;)).

Sight as a verb means the act of viewing something. So you are viewing something unseen, in this phrase, mja?

Nah, it's sight as a noun, as in "a sight for sore eyes", or a tourist attraction. The sight - ie the appearance of the object in question - wasn't seen before purchasing, so you bought "sight unseen".

Interestingly, the word combination is treated as an adverb, as it qualifies the verb of purchasing.
 
Nah, it's sight as a noun, as in "a sight for sore eyes", or a tourist attraction. The sight - ie the appearance of the object in question - wasn't seen before purchasing, so you bought "sight unseen".

Interestingly, the word combination is treated as an adverb, as it qualifies the verb of purchasing.

Hmm. So is it an adverb or an idiom? I'm going to say idiom, and thus "site unseen" is NOT an idiom, therefore, "sight unseen" is correct. :)

In all honesty, I don't really give a crap, but it's fun to argue once in a while. :D
 
Hmm. So is it an adverb or an idiom? I'm going to say idiom, and thus "site unseen" is NOT an idiom, therefore, "sight unseen" is correct. :)

In all honesty, I don't really give a crap, but it's fun to argue once in a while. :D

OK. That would be a phrasal verb used as an idiom. Hmm didn't know that.
 
Either is right...or wrong...depending on how you want to look at it. However, i think this is the least of the gramatical errors that REA's and Marketers need to look at. You would swear that many of them never had a high school education. ;)

grammatical :eek:
 
What were you doing to dig this old thread up?

There's another thread up in Where To Buy entitled Site unseen or something. That's the most logical way to spell it as far as I'm concerned. Then DT pointed out that 'sight unseen' is an actual phrase so I googled it and this is what's there. Nice little thread, isn't it?
 
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