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Guest Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

is 'one' necessary?

0 Hi, 02br
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00 I think that we're looking for someone who has seen one too many Bela Lugosi movies. 02br
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00 Does it mean same if the expression was phrased as: 02br
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00 I think that we're looking for someone who has seen to many Bela Lugosi movies. 02br
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00 What is the word 'one' doing there of the first example? 02br
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00 Already a member 0-
  

Top answer

0'One' is not necessary, but the phrase 'one too many' is a common one, used for effect, suggesting that the subject of 'one too many whatevers' has gone over the edge in some way. In this case (it sounds like a murder mystery), the person they are searching for has begun acting like one of the monsters that Bela is famous for portraying. 0-

— Mister Micawber

  • 0'One' is not necessary, but the phrase 'one too many' is a common one, used for effect, suggesting that the subject of 'one too many whatevers' has gone over the edge in some way.
  • In this case (it sounds like a murder mystery), the person they are searching for has begun acting like one of the monsters that Bela is famous for portraying.
  • 0-
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7 Answers
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0'One' is not necessary, but the phrase 'one too many' is a common one, used for effect, suggesting that the subject of 'one too many whatevers' has gone over the edge in some way. In this case (it sounds like a murder mystery), the person they are searching for has begun acting like one of the monsters that Bela is famous for portraying. 0-
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0 "too many" by itself expresses a number more than required or necessary, but it doesn't say how many more than the necessary number is involved. Therefore, you can have 02br
00one too many (one more than the necessary number) 02br
00two too many (two more than the necessary number) 02br
00three too many (three more ...) 02br
00and so on. 02b
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0 Hello Guest, MisterMicawber, CalifJim. 02br
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00Excellent instruction! It's helpful. I didn't know these expressions. I can use them from now on. 02br
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00I have a question. Yesterday or so I quoted the following sentence in another thread: 02br
01blockquote
00 here I feel my voice rising to a much too strident pitch. 1
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0I'm far too busy to do much more than guess (perhaps a little too briefly), Roro-- but there do seem to be not a few similarities. 0-
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0 ... oh ... 02br
00It took me almost 5 minutes or more to understand what you mean, Mister Micawber... 02br
00I'd better avoid such a much too rhetorical construction. (??) 02br
00Thank you! 0-
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0On the contrary, I was suggesting that such constructions are rather common, Roro. There's probably a guideline somewhere about them; I just don't know where it is at the moment. 02br
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00MM 0-
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0 Hello Mister Micawber. They are rather common..? I just have to get accustomed to them! 02br
00Because it was really difficult for me to see the meaning! 02br
00I really appreciate your instructions. 0-
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