港人用錯了的英文字 - RUNDOWN

Your point is valid, that "rundown" (not "run down" or "run-down", which are adjectives meaning "in bad shape") is a noun meaning "a brief summary".

I suppose the reason for the popular use of this word in Hong Kong to mean the programme of a concert or a wedding, the "itinerary" of a trip, or the "agenda" of a meeting etc., is because "rundown" does carry the meaning of "a point-by-point summary", and in a sense, a programme, an itinarary, or an agenda is a point-by-pont summary of the event.





2011-04-24 15:55:21 補充：
Can you imagine a Chinese going to England or the US, and pick on their language skills when people try to communicate with him in Chinese ?

發問者的言論太偏激和以偏概全。誠言，即使在以全英語教學的中小學讀書，如果想接觸以廣東話為母語的香港人，無論怎樣，那些以英語為母語的外國人不用看你的臉面就知道你是母語非英話的人。

但其實，如果你真的學好英語，文法上或多或少都有「中文」影子。除非你長期在彼邦生活吧！

小弟相信發問者的英文程度應該非常好，才會發表此論。

Very good question. The problem is not just HK. The problem is partly due to the difference between American and British popular usage, because rundown and run-down combined have 2 or 3 different meanings. This is made worse in conversation when you cannot see if there is a hyphen or not!

Your definition of 'rundown' is the popular US version.

In British English, the most common usage is when somebody is not 100% fit and healthy

Example:
A. Why aren't you at work today?
B. I feel a bit run down. (= I'm not well, feeling tired etc. )


http://www.thefreedictionary.com/rundown