Due to

Question

—Idioms
11.
due to,
a.
attributable to; ascribable to: The delay was due to heavy traffic.

b.
because of; owing to: All planes are grounded due to fog.

This is dictionary.com on due to. Why is (a) listed as an idiom? This is perfectly standard and correct. It is (b) that I wonder about. I never use (b), but always use because of. Why do so many people, including journalists and other writers, use (b)? They must know that, if it is not now considered wrong, it certainly started out wrong. Compare slang, "He can't fight worth a damn." Would any professional writer use worth in this way. It's completely analogous. Do writers feel that due to says something that because of does not?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

electrumWhy is (a) listed as an idiom?

Most likely because if you look up the meanings of "due" and "to," you won't be able to make "because of" out of them.

No, "due to" does not say anything that "because of" does not.

I guess you realize that "because of" is not an idiom because the meanings of the words which make up the expression can add up to what you want to say.

There's an old usage rule for "due to" which no one pays any attention to any longer - so I won't bore you with it.

"Because of" has no such restriction.

The way I read your dictionary excerpt, both (a) and (b) are definitions for the "idiom" "due to."
But I'd say that "because of" also means "attributable to" and "ascribable to."

In all honesty, I don't understand your question about (a) vs. (b). (I never use b. but always use "because of.")
"Because of" is (b), is it not? Maybe it will come to me in the morning.

Are you asking why a professional writer would use "due to"?

Electrum · Answer

AvangiMost likely because if you look up the meanings of "due" and "to," you won't be able to make "because of" out of them.

That's due to the fact that they haven't put the definition where it should be, relegating it to the status of idiom, apparently just to lump the two definitions under one head. If they put the right definition in its place, they would add up.

AvangiThere's an old usage rule for "due to" which no one pays any attention to any longer - so I won't bore you with it. "Because of" has no such restriction.

Please do bore me. I love boring grammatical rules.

Khoff · Answer

AvangiIn all honesty, I don't understand your question about (a) vs. (b). (I never use b. but always use "because of."
"Because of" is (b), is it not?

I think Electrum is saying that he never uses "due to" in place of "because of." For some reason that I don't understand, he thinks that it's wrong, or at least used to be wrong and therefore should still be avoided:

Why do so many people, including journalists and other writers, use (b)? They must know that, if it is not now considered wrong, it certainly started out wrong.

I don't understand this part at all:

Compare slang, "He can't fight worth a ****." Would any professional writer use worth in this way. It's completely analogous.

How is "he can't fight worth a ****" "completely analogous" to using "due to" to mean "because of"?

(In my opinion, I suppose they're "completely analogous" because there's nothing wrong with either one of them -- but I don't think that's what Electrum meant.)

Avangi · Answer

electrumThat's due to the fact that they haven't put the definition where it should be

Hmmm, I thought you just said that you always use "because of."

You see how confused I am?

The correct usage is: NOUN/PRONOUN (np) plus BEING VERB plus due to plus (reason)

Your usage above is correct, by the way.

My headache is due to a lack of nourishment. NOT I have a headache due to a lack of nourishment.

You must use "because of" in my second example.

No one uses this rule anymore - except me, and my old Orchestration professor, who taught it to me.
(He's a professional writer, by the way, still reviewing music and theater at nearly a hundred.)

Electrum · Answer

Avangi
electrumThat's due to the fact that they haven't put the definition where it should be
Hmmm, I thought you just said that you always use "because of." You see how confused I am?

I used due to when it's an adjective, because of when it's an adverb/conjunction:

Ther refund was due to unexpected rain.
They refunded the money because of unexpected rain.

I still abide by the rule. I was wondering why so many ignore it.

Electrum · Answer

khoffHow is "he can't fight worth a ****" "completely analogous" to using "due to" to mean "because of"?

It's a matter of using an adjective where an adverb is called for:
He can't fight worth a ****.

He can't fight due to a sprained muscle.

Khoff · Answer

electrumI used due to when it's an adjective, because of when it's an adverb/conjunction:

Ther refund was due to unexpected rain.
They refunded the money because of unexpected rain.

I still abide by the rule. I was wondering why so many ignore it.

Ah. Thank you, Avangi and Electrum, for explaining. So the rule is that "due to" can only modify a noun, not a verb. Well, I can tell you that personally I "ignore" this rule because I've never heard of it before. The examples of incorrect usage of "due to" do not "sound wrong" to me. I am not a grammarian or a teacher, but I like to think I have a reasonable grasp of the English language.

So, Electrum, feel free to continue observe this rule if you like. However, I think you are in for a lot of frustration

if you expect everyone else to adhere to it!

Electrum · Answer

khoffSo, Electrum, feel free to continue observe this rule if you like. However, I think you are in for a lot of frustration if you expect everyone else to adhere to it!

I understand that. I was just wondering if there was a handy rationalization that would make due to mean more than because of.

Avangi · Answer

electrum I was just wondering if there was a handy rationalization that would make due to mean more than because of.

I hope you got your answer.

It's unfortunate that your Dictionary.com excerpt is so unhelpful, if not downright misleading.

You seem to have a good grasp of the language, but your interpretation of the excerpt really leaves me scratching my head.

Best regards, - A.

Electrum · Answer

I don't uderstand what you're driving at.

Due to

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