Charge so much a mile

Question

bullion1 a : gold or silver considered as so much metal;  specifically   : uncoined gold or silver in bars or ingots  b : metal in the mass  lead bullionIs the "so much" an adjective here?2 : lace, braid, or fringe of gold or silver threadsso muchadverb: by the amount indicated or suggested if they lose their way, so much the better for usIn the sentence "if they lose their way, so much the better for us" what is the amount and how is it suggested or indicated?pronoun1 : something (as an amount or price) unspecified or undetermined  *charge so much a mile*In what situation one would use such a phrase "charge so much a mile"? It doesn't make sense. One could say "he charged me so much for a single mile"/"he charged me so little for a single mile"/"he charged $25 for a single mile".2 : all that can be or is to be said or done  *so much for the history of the case*Is my use of "so much" correct: I have told you everything about the case and this is so much for the history of the case, that's all?adjective—  used as an intensive  the house burned like so much paper*  *sounded like so much nonsense[M-W's Col. Dic.]HiPlease see my questions and comments in blue above. Would you please help me with those questions. Thanks a lot.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Jackson6612Is the "so much" an adjective here?

Yes. It's an idiom stressing the opinion that the thing described is nothing more than "this."
It's often a counter statement:
Bonanza! Have you been in the cave to see my gold strike? (reply) Yes. What you have is so much fool's gold!" (nothing more than fool's gold) (a certain amount of fool's gold)

Jackson6612In what situation one would use such a phrase "charge so much a mile"? It doesn't make sense. One could say "he charged me so much for a single mile"/"he charged me so little for a single mile"/"he charged $25 for a single mile".

The expression means "so much per mile" / "X amount for each mile."

Jackson6612Is my use of "so much" correct: I have told you everything about the case and this is so much for the history of the case, that's all?

This doesn't seem to work, in my opinion.
I'd use it as a separate sentence tag, to say that what you've presented is "all of it."

"Blah blah blah blah. So much for that! / That's the extent of it!" (These are fixed expressions.)

2 : all that can be or is to be said or done *so much for the history of the case*

According to my experience, the underlined portion would be a separate sentence:
So much for the history of the case. (Granted, it doesn't exactly pass muster as a sentence.)

Jbachman08 · Answer

Hi,

Yes, "so much bullion" is like "so much paper." Adjective in the sense of a modifier, in traditional grammar.

Jackson6612 · Answer

Jackson6612pronoun
1 : something (as an amount or price) unspecified or undetermined charge so much a mile
In what situation one would use such a phrase "charge so much a mile"? It doesn't make sense. One could say "he charged me so much for a single mile"/"he charged me so little for a single mile"/"he charged $25 for a single mile".

The expression means "so much per mile" / "X amount for each mile."

I still don't understand where one would use the indefinite expression "so much per mile" and what purpose it would serve. e.g. How much are you charged for one mile? I would simply say "X amound for each mile". Say "so much per mile" doesn't make sense because one is interested to know the charges not the "so much". Please guide me. Thanks.

Avangi · Answer

Perhaps you're reading "so much" as "too much." Methinks the lady protests too much.

In this case "so" is used as, "It is thus and so." "I'll charge you this much per mile: 75 cents."

Do you charge a flat rate to the airport, or so much a mile? (reply) I charge so much a mile.
(I charge by the mile.)

Yes, I see your question!

Charge so much a mile

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