'Quick' is a noun in the sentence?

Question

Do you really not have a girl friend? Is there someone you like?

No.

Well, how about me?

Sorry, but you're not my type at all.

It's okay not to give that QUICK of a response, you know.

Might I consider that quick to be a noun? Of a response seems to be adjectival.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

anonymousMight I consider that quick to be a noun?

No; it is adjectival.

Clive · Answer

Let's consider a simpler example.

eg

Tom: Jim won the big race

Jack: Really? I didn't know he was that quick a runner.

The structure is that + adjective +noun. You could paraphrase the sentence to say

eg I didn't know he was a runner who was quick to that degree.

Note that people often say "I didn't know he was that quick of a runner', but the 'of' is incorrect.

Your example should be worded as It's okay not to give that quick a response, you know.

You could paraphrase as

eg It's okay not to give a response that is quick to that degree, you know.

Here are a few more examples.

I don't want that big a car.

I'd like to be that intelligent a person.

I don't want that red a lipstick.

Clive

AlpheccaStars · Answer

There are uses of "quick" as a noun.

1. That cut me to the quick.

2. *** judges both the quick and the dead.

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