What does this scary dream about an elevator mean?
This is an anxiety dream with a positive ending. You are afraid to get into a situation from which you can't escape but then you do escape. Who rescues you is blurry because you are the one, really, rescuing yourself and your subconcious mind blurs your rescuer to give them anonimity. Black buttons ... black represents power, the power you have or which is given to you by your rescuer, which is probably yourself.. Buttons are things of beauty and value and if they're black, they also indicate power. The power to escape dangerous situations when you fear to fall or fail. Terrifying experience turns into a victory for you. This is a good dream wherein your subconscious mind is communicating to your conscious mind that it is prepared to step up during an emergency so you need not fear in real life situations.
Why do Americans think the first storey in a building is "the second floor"?
Nowhere have I seen the first storey in a building called the “second floor”. Traditionally the Ground Floor can double as the First Floor; since it technically is the first floor upon which you walk when entering at grade; even if said floor is made of dirt, if it’s within a built structure it’s defined as a floor. So they might then call the next floor above the Second Floor; but that’s not the first storey. It’s the Second Storey.I HAVE seen some people say Ground Floor for the actual lowest floor at grade and then First Floor for the floor above; which makes no sense. Just because that floor contains the first ceiling below it, doesn’t make it the First Floor. It’s a definition based on confused tradition rather than reason.A lot of the definitions have become misconstrued and conflated from various languages and cultures calling certain floors certain things. From the old “Piano Nobile” or “Noble Floor”; which was the dominant reception and dwelling floor of Noble houses in times of yore, came some of the confusion. Many of these large, Noble dwellings were entered from this floor; which was actually above the floor below; which was at grade. This made some begin calling the Piano Nobile the “First Floor”; since it’s the first one walked on when entering the building; even though it’s the second one vertically in z-axis geography. Silly.Basically, the floor that is at or closest to grade level is always the First Floor; no matter what someone calls it. They can call it Piano Nobile, Bel Etage, Basement, Attic, Nineteenth Floor or whatever; but the first floor of the building that’s at or above grade is the First Floor. Duh. :)