0
Jackson6612 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
His usual quiet, almost inhuman courtesy
inhuman
1 b : cold, impersonal <his usual quiet, almost inhuman courtesy - F. Tennyson Jesse>
[M-W's Col. Dic.]
Counrtest by its very definition is an humane act. Then, what would be an "inhuman courtesy". Suppose, there is an accident. A child is ran over. The guilty rich driver of the car pay a huge sum of money to the mother of that child only to save himself from law and has no care or sorrow for what he has done. I won't call 'compensation money' an act of courtesy.
1 b : cold, impersonal <his usual quiet, almost inhuman courtesy - F. Tennyson Jesse>
[M-W's Col. Dic.]
Counrtest by its very definition is an humane act. Then, what would be an "inhuman courtesy". Suppose, there is an accident. A child is ran over. The guilty rich driver of the car pay a huge sum of money to the mother of that child only to save himself from law and has no care or sorrow for what he has done. I won't call 'compensation money' an act of courtesy.
Top answer
Inhuman (not inhumane) courtesy -- Overly courteous; more courtesy than we could reasonably expect from a person.
- Inhuman (not inhumane) courtesy -- Overly courteous; more courtesy than we could reasonably expect from a person.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
7 Answers
0
Inhuman (not inhumane) courtesy-- Overly courteous; more courtesy than we could reasonably expect from a person.
00
inhuman
1 b : cold, impersonal <his usual quiet, almost inhuman courtesy - F. Tennyson Jesse>
[M-W's Col. Dic.]
Neither the definition nor the example phrase suggest anything such as 'overly courteous'. 'cold' commonly suggests lack of emotion and has negative connotations in such contexts. So, please help me to know where I'm going wrong in my interpretation. Thanks.
1 b : cold, impersonal <his usual quiet, almost inhuman courtesy - F. Tennyson Jesse>
[M-W's Col. Dic.]
Neither the definition nor the example phrase suggest anything such as 'overly courteous'. 'cold' commonly suggests lack of emotion and has negative connotations in such contexts. So, please help me to know where I'm going wrong in my interpretation. Thanks.
00
0
Please don't mind my asking again. Could you please explain it a little bit, how can 'over-politeness' have cold aloofness about it? 'over-politeness' is a good thing, isn't it?
00
No, it is not. The appropriate amount of politeness is a good thing. Under and over are not.
00
I have just noticed that you have changed your profile picture. Your previous picture I think was more relevant - an English Guru. Is it just a random new picture, or does it have any meaning to it?
I find a poor, ragged person on a road in a very bad condition. I give his lift in my car, take him to buy new clothes, give him something to eat, and also offer him some monetary help so tha
I find a poor, ragged person on a road in a very bad condition. I give his lift in my car, take him to buy new clothes, give him something to eat, and also offer him some monetary help so tha
00
None of that is courtesy. It is all kindness. Continually calling the ragged person 'sir' would be overly polite and perhaps not taken so well, but as patronizing.
0
Related Questions