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Taka Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
honest
What is the difference between 'honest about...' and 'honest in...'? No difference at all? Is '...'-part excangeable, like 'He is honest in business'=>'He is honest about business'?
Top answer
I don't feel exact sameness between honest in and honest about . "He is honest in his dealings with his business partners"-- suggests that his actions in business can be trusted. "He is honest about his dealings with his business partners"-- suggests that he can be trusted to tell the truth about his actions in business.
- I don't feel exact sameness between honest in and honest about .
- "He is honest in his dealings with his business partners"-- suggests that his actions in business can be trusted.
- "He is honest about his dealings with his business partners"-- suggests that he can be trusted to tell the truth about his actions in business.
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2 Answers
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I don't feel exact sameness between honest in and honest about.
"He is honest in his dealings with his business partners"-- suggests that his actions in business can be trusted.
"He is honest about his dealings with his business partners"-- suggests that he can be trusted to tell the truth about his actions
"He is honest in his dealings with his business partners"-- suggests that his actions in business can be trusted.
"He is honest about his dealings with his business partners"-- suggests that he can be trusted to tell the truth about his actions
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I'm with davkett on this one. I don't find the two completely interchangeable. "honest in" connotes "honest within the sphere of activities associated with"; "honest about" connotes "honest when speaking about (a certain topic)". The first seems to apply even to non-verbal kinds of honesty: not stealing, not cheating, etc., while the second seems restricted to verbal communications.
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