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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
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Quite pondial
I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill Clinton by David Dimbleby, and near the end there was an interesting example of pondiality. Dimbleby asked Clinton about Kerry (1):
Clinton: "I like John Kerry he's a good man, and he'd make quite a good president."
Dimbleby: " Quite a good president?"
Clinton: "A very good president. Don't you have that "quite" thing over here?
We've discussed it before, but I wasn't aware that it could be quite that ambiguous.
(1) This may not be precise...it can be viewed here, though: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/programmes/panorama
Matti
Clinton: "I like John Kerry he's a good man, and he'd make quite a good president."
Dimbleby: " Quite a good president?"
Clinton: "A very good president. Don't you have that "quite" thing over here?
We've discussed it before, but I wasn't aware that it could be quite that ambiguous.
(1) This may not be precise...it can be viewed here, though: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/programmes/panorama
Matti
Top answer
[nq:1]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill Clinton by David Dimbleby, and near the end there was ... that "quite" thing over here? [/nq] I thought that "quite" as used by Clinton was rightpondian rather than left: was Clinton trying to speak native, or did Dimbleby have a "woosh" moment?
- [nq:1]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill Clinton by David Dimbleby, and near the end there was ...
- that "quite" thing over here?
- [/nq] I thought that "quite" as used by Clinton was rightpondian rather than left: was Clinton trying to speak native, or did Dimbleby have a "woosh" moment?
- ) Cheers, Harvey Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years; Southern England for the past 21 years.
- (for e-mail, change harvey to whhvs)
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76 Answers
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[nq:1]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill Clinton by David Dimbleby, and near the end there was ... that "quite" thing over here? We've discussed it before, but I wasn't aware that it could be quite that ambiguous.[/nq]
I thought that "quite" as used by Clinton was rightpondian rather than left: was Clinton trying to speak native, or did Dimbleby have a "woosh" moment?
(As far
I thought that "quite" as used by Clinton was rightpondian rather than left: was Clinton trying to speak native, or did Dimbleby have a "woosh" moment?
(As far
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[nq:1]On 23 Jun 2004, Matti Lamprhey wrote[/nq]
[nq:2]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill ... I wasn't aware that it could be quite that ambiguous.[/nq]
[nq:1]I thought that "quite" as used by Clinton was rightpondian rather than left: was Clinton trying to speak native, or did Dimbleby have a "woosh" moment?[/nq]
For this BrE speaker "he'd make quite a good president" sou
[nq:2]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill ... I wasn't aware that it could be quite that ambiguous.[/nq]
[nq:1]I thought that "quite" as used by Clinton was rightpondian rather than left: was Clinton trying to speak native, or did Dimbleby have a "woosh" moment?[/nq]
For this BrE speaker "he'd make quite a good president" sou
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[nq:1]For this BrE speaker "he'd make quite a good president" sounds likedamning him with faint praise.[/nq]
AusE perspective: generally agreed, "quite a good X" or "a quite good X" is definitely a step below "a very good X". In fact "quite good" is even subtly less praise than just plain "good".
AusE perspective: generally agreed, "quite a good X" or "a quite good X" is definitely a step below "a very good X". In fact "quite good" is even subtly less praise than just plain "good".
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There is some inconsistency in BrE, though: "he's really quite good" (with emphasis on "really") is praise indeed.
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[nq:1]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill Clinton by David Dimbleby, and near the end there was ... aware that it could be quite that ambiguous. (1) This may not be precise...it can be viewed here, though: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/programmes/panorama[/nq]
Yes, I found it at the end of the vide
Yes, I found it at the end of the vide
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[nq:2]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill ... may not be precise...it can be viewed here, though: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/programmes/panorama[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, I found it at the end of the video, and there'a transcript, too: CLINTON: Well, first of all I ... be quite a good President. DIMBLEBY:
[nq:1]Yes, I found it at the end of the video, and there'a transcript, too: CLINTON: Well, first of all I ... be quite a good President. DIMBLEBY:
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[nq:2]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill ... may not be precise...it can be viewed here, though: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/programmes/panorama[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, I found it at the end of the video, and there'a transcript, too: CLINTON: Well, first of all I ... second way, to me, but I think he wa
[nq:1]Yes, I found it at the end of the video, and there'a transcript, too: CLINTON: Well, first of all I ... second way, to me, but I think he wa
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[nq:2]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill ... may not be precise...it can be viewed here, though: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/programmes/panorama[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, I found it at the end of the video, and there'a transcript, too: CLINTON: Well, first of all I ... good president." It sounds the secon
[nq:1]Yes, I found it at the end of the video, and there'a transcript, too: CLINTON: Well, first of all I ... good president." It sounds the secon
00
[nq:1]On 23 Jun 2004, Matti Lamprhey wrote[/nq]
[nq:2]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill ... I wasn't aware that it could be quite that ambiguous.[/nq]
[nq:1]I thought that "quite" as used by Clinton was rightpondian rather than left: was Clinton trying to speak native, or did Dimbleby have a "woosh" moment? (As far as I know, "That's quite good" in BrEng means: "Wow: impress
[nq:2]I've just watched the Panorama interview of Bill ... I wasn't aware that it could be quite that ambiguous.[/nq]
[nq:1]I thought that "quite" as used by Clinton was rightpondian rather than left: was Clinton trying to speak native, or did Dimbleby have a "woosh" moment? (As far as I know, "That's quite good" in BrEng means: "Wow: impress
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