0
Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage

Daresay vs Dare say

I've often written "I daresay", though I was aware of "I dare say". Yesterday I happened to think that if "daresay" existed, there must be "daresaid", its past tense. Of course I realize that if I "dare say" something now, it is more reasonable to say that I "dared say" something in the past, rather than I "daresaid" it ,but then if "to daresay" exists, "daresaid" ought to exist as well, illogical as it may be. Google begs to differ: I only found 2 occurrences of "daresaid", this word being used in one of them to ask if it existed; the other not seeming to be a valid instance, either.
I've read some posts of a discussion which dates back to 1998, and I understand that "daresay" is only used for the first person singular in the present tense. Have those who use "daresay" never dared do anything in the past?
Bye, FB

L'importante è che risplenda tu, sola primadonna e immarcescibile leggenda del tuo pianerottolo.
(Lucangel su it.cultura.libri)
  

Top answer

[nq:1]I've often written "I daresay", though I was aware of "I dare say". Yesterday I happened to think that if ... the first person singular in the present tense.

— Usenet

  • [nq:1]I've often written "I daresay", though I was aware of "I dare say".
  • Yesterday I happened to think that if ...
  • the first person singular in the present tense.
  • [/nq] Well, first of all, I don't think too many people say "daresay" anymore (= BrE/LiebsE 'any longer').
  • It was never very popular in American English (which I know you think of as 'foreign', but anyway) other than among slavish Britophiles.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

23 Answers
0
[nq:1]I've often written "I daresay", though I was aware of "I dare say". Yesterday I happened to think that if ... the first person singular in the present tense. Have those who use "daresay" never dared do anything in the past?[/nq]
Well, first of all, I don't think too many people say "daresay" anymore (= BrE/LiebsE 'any longer'). It was never very popular in American English (which I know
0
0
[nq:1]I've often written "I daresay", though I was aware of "I dare say". Yesterday I happened to think that if ... the first person singular in the present tense. Have those who use "daresay" never dared do anything in the past?[/nq]
MW Online:
Main Entry: dare·say
Pronunciation: "dar-'sA, "der-
Function: verb
transitive senses : venture to say : think probable used in present
0
0
[nq:2]I've often written "I daresay", though I was aware of ... those who use "daresay" never dared do anything inthe past?[/nq]
[nq:1]Well, first of all, I don't think too many people say "daresay" anymore (= BrE/LiebsE 'any longer'). It was never ... was from "dare (to) say", so the expected past tense would be "dared say". "Daresaid" would be like "attorney generals".[/nq]
When I first
0
0
Areff wibbled
[nq:1]Well, first of all, I don't think too many people say "daresay" anymore (= BrE/LiebsE 'any longer'). It was never ... so nonironic usages of "daresay" in AUE, in which BrE speakers and their AusNZSAfrHib imitators are overrepresented? Check with Erk.[/nq]
Google finds 445 examples, I'm sure a fair proportion of them are unironic. Mike Lyle seems fond of it, judging from
0
0
[nq:1]When I first saw "I daresay" I thought it was a mistake. What's wrong with "I dare say"? The stress ... formulation became so common, but it's completely unnecessary. As for whether we still use it, I dare say we do.[/nq]
Agreed, on both counts.
Cheers - Ian
0
0
[nq:2]I've often written "I daresay", though I was aware of ... who use "daresay" never dared do anything in the past?[/nq]
[nq:1]Well, first of all, I don't think too many people say "daresay" anymore (= BrE/LiebsE 'any longer'). It was never ... "Daresaid" would be like "attorney generals". What ever happened to "dursn't"? I don't think Ron would use that one either.[/nq]
OED tips its ha
0
0
[nq:1]I've often written "I daresay", though I was aware of "I dare say". Yesterday I happened to think that if "daresay" existed, there must be "daresaid", its past tense.[/nq]
Well, this just shows us how unwise it would be to limit our linguistic resources to our own memory or intuition.

1. Daresay may be common, but remains an error.
2. Dare say has a recognized past tense, da
0
0
[nq:2]I've often written "I daresay", though I was aware of ... who use "daresay" never dared do anything in the past?[/nq]
[nq:1]MW Online: Main Entry: dare·say Pronunciation: "dar-'sA, "der- Function: verb transitive senses : venture to say : think probable ... 1st singular I think they are trying to say that the usage is normally restricted to first person present singular.[/nq]
Do you
0
0
[nq:2]I've often written "I daresay", though I was aware of ... who use "daresay" never dared do anything in the past?[/nq]
[nq:1]MW Online: Main Entry: dare·say Pronunciation: "dar-'sA, "der- Function: verb transitive senses : venture to say : think probable ... 1st singular I think they are trying to say that the usage is normally restricted to first person present singular.[/nq]
Do you
0
0
[nq:2]MW Online: Main Entry: dare·say Pronunciation: "dar-'sA, "der- Function: verb ... senses : AGREE, SUPPOSE used in present 1st singula[/nq]
I say this quite a lot. I like it because it seems to mean something no equally short phrase can manage - along the lines of "for all I know, it may be the case . . .", rather than the meanings given above which over-emphasize the probability aspect,
0

Related Questions