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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
English in UK
"If you are a tall man, like I am, ..." -- facially nonsensical
A while ago, I found myself uttering to someone
the following sentence, and feeling a little confused while saying it.
"If you are a tall man, like I am, ..."
(you find yourself searching for clothes that fit.) (I struggle to find clothes that fit.)
(it's hard to find clothes off the rack.)
(I said this to a woman!)
(You'd understand my confusion if you actually say it to someone who's not a tall man.)
Are there similar utterances in other European
languages?
German, French, Spanish, etc.
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the following sentence, and feeling a little confused while saying it.
"If you are a tall man, like I am, ..."
(you find yourself searching for clothes that fit.) (I struggle to find clothes that fit.)
(it's hard to find clothes off the rack.)
(I said this to a woman!)
(You'd understand my confusion if you actually say it to someone who's not a tall man.)
Are there similar utterances in other European
languages?
German, French, Spanish, etc.
Do you Yahoo!?
Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger.
http://messenger.yahoo.com/
Top answer
[nq:1]A while ago, I found myself uttering to someone the following sentence, and feeling a little confused while saying it. ) Are there similar utterances in other European languages? " Peter T.
- [nq:1]A while ago, I found myself uttering to someone the following sentence, and feeling a little confused while saying it.
- ) Are there similar utterances in other European languages?
- " Peter T.
- Daniels (Email Removed)
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27 Answers
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[nq:1]A while ago, I found myself uttering to someone the following sentence, and feeling a little confused while saying it. ... who's not a tall man.) Are there similar utterances in other European languages? German, French, Spanish, etc.[/nq]
The English for that would be "If you're a tall man like me, ..."
Peter T. Daniels (Email Removed)
The English for that would be "If you're a tall man like me, ..."
Peter T. Daniels (Email Removed)
00
[nq:1]A while ago, I found myself uttering to someone the following sentence, and feeling a little confused while saying it. ... find clothes that fit.) (it's hard to find clothes off the rack.) (I said this to a woman!)[/nq]
I think that in this situation, where what's stated in the "if" clause is hypothetical, unlikely, or (as here) impossible, many speakers would use the subjunctive and/or
I think that in this situation, where what's stated in the "if" clause is hypothetical, unlikely, or (as here) impossible, many speakers would use the subjunctive and/or
00
[nq:2]A while ago, I found myself uttering to someone the ... the rack.) (I said this to a woman!)[/nq]
[nq:1]I think that in this situation, where what's stated in the "if" clause is hypothetical, unlikely, or (as here) impossible, many speakers would use the subjunctive and/or the conditional: "If you were a tall man, like I am, you would find/would struggle/it would be hard..."[/nq]
But
[nq:1]I think that in this situation, where what's stated in the "if" clause is hypothetical, unlikely, or (as here) impossible, many speakers would use the subjunctive and/or the conditional: "If you were a tall man, like I am, you would find/would struggle/it would be hard..."[/nq]
But
00
[nq:2]A while ago, I found myself uttering to someone the ... the rack.) (I said this to a woman!)[/nq]
[nq:1]I think that in this situation, where what's stated in the "if" clause is hypothetical, unlikely, or (as here) impossible, ... but there's no doubt that in the standard language you can't use what you said in the situation you describe.[/nq]
This is utter rubbish. Even in the situa
[nq:1]I think that in this situation, where what's stated in the "if" clause is hypothetical, unlikely, or (as here) impossible, ... but there's no doubt that in the standard language you can't use what you said in the situation you describe.[/nq]
This is utter rubbish. Even in the situa
00
[nq:1]A while ago, I found myself uttering to someone the following sentence, and feeling a little confused while saying it. ... a woman!) (You'd understand my confusion if you actually say it to someone who's not a tall man.)[/nq]
It's colloquial for "If one is a tall man, like I am, ..." We often use "you", rather than the stuffy "one", and it rarely leads to any confusion.
It is ba
It's colloquial for "If one is a tall man, like I am, ..." We often use "you", rather than the stuffy "one", and it rarely leads to any confusion.
It is ba
00
[nq:2]I think that in this situation, where what's stated in ... you can't use what yousaid in the situation you describe.[/nq]
[nq:1]This is utter rubbish. Even in the situation described the sentence used by the OP is quite possible and is ... spoken to, but is known as the universal "you" and corresponds to the use of "one" in more formal English.[/nq]
Point taken. I do of course freque
[nq:1]This is utter rubbish. Even in the situation described the sentence used by the OP is quite possible and is ... spoken to, but is known as the universal "you" and corresponds to the use of "one" in more formal English.[/nq]
Point taken. I do of course freque
00
[nq:2]This is utter rubbish. Even in the situation described the ... corresponds to the use of "one" in more formal English.[/nq]
[nq:1]Point taken. I do of course frequently use this "you". Still, in my idiolect at any rate, I find the ... isn't a clash of formalness involved in taking "you" as the "universal you" (Is that what Peter was getting at?)[/nq]
Not really; I make it grammatical
[nq:1]Point taken. I do of course frequently use this "you". Still, in my idiolect at any rate, I find the ... isn't a clash of formalness involved in taking "you" as the "universal you" (Is that what Peter was getting at?)[/nq]
Not really; I make it grammatical
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[nq:1]Point taken. I do of course frequently use this "you". Still, in my idiolect at any rate, I find the original sentence very hard to accept, presumably because of the two possible meanings of "you", one of whichmakes no sense in the context.[/nq]
The formal English as pointed out is, "If one is a tall man..." but when speaking to a woman informally just leave out "man", "If you are tall,
The formal English as pointed out is, "If one is a tall man..." but when speaking to a woman informally just leave out "man", "If you are tall,
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[nq:2]A while ago, I found myself uttering to someone the ... similar utterances in other European languages? German, French, Spanish, etc.[/nq]
[nq:1]The English for that would be "If you're a tall man like me, ..."[/nq]
Or "If you are a tall man, as I am, ..."
John Briggs
[nq:1]The English for that would be "If you're a tall man like me, ..."[/nq]
Or "If you are a tall man, as I am, ..."
John Briggs
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[nq:2]The English for that would be "If you're a tall man like me, ..."[/nq]
[nq:1]Or "If you are a tall man, as I am, ..."[/nq]
No. That's impossibly stilted and doesn't communicate the same thing at all.
Peter T. Daniels (Email Removed)
[nq:1]Or "If you are a tall man, as I am, ..."[/nq]
No. That's impossibly stilted and doesn't communicate the same thing at all.
Peter T. Daniels (Email Removed)
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