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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
English in UK
"I'm 2 o'clock and he's 3 o'clock." -- facially nonsensical
A lady is late for 2 appointments, and finds
two guys waiting outside her office.
She apologizes and asks which is which.
(versions)
SIMPLE: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's 3 o'clock."
THE: "I'm the 2 o'clock and he's the 3 o'clock."
HYBRID: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's the 3 o'clock."
[nq:1]The SIMPLE-version seems more common than the THE-version.[/nq]
THE-version would be preferred if she mistook the two at first.
[nq:1]In my mind, The SIMPLE-version is just sloppy English, and the THE-version is correct metonymy.[/nq]
Are there similar utterances in other languages?
German: Ich bin ... und er ist ...
French: Je suis ... et il est ...
[nq:1]Isn't it true that correct metonymy requires use of such "THE"? "the Crown" "Then the press descended on the scene." "The pen is mightier than the sword." BUT "Washington responded swiftly to the invasion." (which is ok; not a counter-example)[/nq]
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two guys waiting outside her office.
She apologizes and asks which is which.
(versions)
SIMPLE: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's 3 o'clock."
THE: "I'm the 2 o'clock and he's the 3 o'clock."
HYBRID: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's the 3 o'clock."
[nq:1]The SIMPLE-version seems more common than the THE-version.[/nq]
THE-version would be preferred if she mistook the two at first.
[nq:1]In my mind, The SIMPLE-version is just sloppy English, and the THE-version is correct metonymy.[/nq]
Are there similar utterances in other languages?
German: Ich bin ... und er ist ...
French: Je suis ... et il est ...
[nq:1]Isn't it true that correct metonymy requires use of such "THE"? "the Crown" "Then the press descended on the scene." "The pen is mightier than the sword." BUT "Washington responded swiftly to the invasion." (which is ok; not a counter-example)[/nq]
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Top answer
" I think I met her in the King's Cross area. Did she then say, "Yeah, and I'm the Queen of Hearts, so sling yer ook"?
- " I think I met her in the King's Cross area.
- Did she then say, "Yeah, and I'm the Queen of Hearts, so sling yer ook"?
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7 Answers
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"I'm the 2 o'clock and he's the 3 o'clock."
I think I met her in the King's Cross area. Did she then say, "Yeah, and I'm the Queen of Hearts, so sling yer ook"?
I think I met her in the King's Cross area. Did she then say, "Yeah, and I'm the Queen of Hearts, so sling yer ook"?
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T. Z. wrote on 09 Jun 2004:
[nq:1]Are there similar utterances in other languages? German: Ich bin ... und er ist ... French: Je suis ... et il est ...[/nq]
Japanese: Watashi wa ... de, kanojo wa ...
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.
For email, replace numbers with English alphabet.
[nq:1]Are there similar utterances in other languages? German: Ich bin ... und er ist ... French: Je suis ... et il est ...[/nq]
Japanese: Watashi wa ... de, kanojo wa ...
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.
For email, replace numbers with English alphabet.
00
[nq:1](versions) SIMPLE: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's 3 o'clock." THE: "I'm the 2 o'clock and he's the 3 o'clock." HYBRID: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's the 3 o'clock."[/nq]
[nq:2]The SIMPLE-version seems more common than the THE-version.[/nq]
Where could you be getting this? The "SIMPLE-version" is impossible.
Peter T. Daniels (Email Removed)
[nq:2]The SIMPLE-version seems more common than the THE-version.[/nq]
Where could you be getting this? The "SIMPLE-version" is impossible.
Peter T. Daniels (Email Removed)
00
[nq:2](versions) SIMPLE: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's 3 o'clock." THE: ... o'clock." HYBRID: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's the 3 o'clock."[/nq]
[nq:1]Where could you be getting this? The "SIMPLE-version" is impossible.[/nq]
Naah, not impossible, only rare.
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/
[nq:1]Where could you be getting this? The "SIMPLE-version" is impossible.[/nq]
Naah, not impossible, only rare.
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/
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[nq:2](versions) SIMPLE: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's 3 o'clock." THE: ... o'clock." HYBRID: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's the 3 o'clock."[/nq]
[nq:1]Where could you be getting this? The "SIMPLE-version" is impossible.[/nq]
Not to me. I'd interpret the two versions a little differently:
"I'm the 2 o'clock, he's the 3 o'clock" would answer the question "Which of you is which" if the answerer
[nq:1]Where could you be getting this? The "SIMPLE-version" is impossible.[/nq]
Not to me. I'd interpret the two versions a little differently:
"I'm the 2 o'clock, he's the 3 o'clock" would answer the question "Which of you is which" if the answerer
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[nq:1]T. Z. wrote on 09 Jun 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]German: Ich bin ... und er ist ... French: Je suis ... et il est ...[/nq]
[nq:1]Japanese: Watashi wa ... de, kanojo wa ...[/nq]
I think that Japanese is grammatically different enough from English that it's not quite the same because "wa" is a "topic marker", saying "watashi wa neko" to mean "I like cats" (which can be done given the appropr
[nq:2]German: Ich bin ... und er ist ... French: Je suis ... et il est ...[/nq]
[nq:1]Japanese: Watashi wa ... de, kanojo wa ...[/nq]
I think that Japanese is grammatically different enough from English that it's not quite the same because "wa" is a "topic marker", saying "watashi wa neko" to mean "I like cats" (which can be done given the appropr
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[nq:2](versions) SIMPLE: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's 3 o'clock." THE: ... o'clock." HYBRID: "I'm 2 o'clock and he's the 3 o'clock."[/nq]
[nq:1]Where could you be getting this? The "SIMPLE-version" is impossible.[/nq]
In this context, I pretty much agree. If the context hadn't set up the word "appopintment", though, it can work. Say the one person is speaking or manning a booth at two and the o
[nq:1]Where could you be getting this? The "SIMPLE-version" is impossible.[/nq]
In this context, I pretty much agree. If the context hadn't set up the word "appopintment", though, it can work. Say the one person is speaking or manning a booth at two and the o
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