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Which is correct, or are both acceptable? Weather forecaster says "Chance for rain" or "Threat for showers." I have always said "Chance of rain" and "Threat of showers."

Why is it that I never see (or hear) "seek" or "sought" without the use of the word "after?" Is it not correct to merely say "I seek" (rather than "I seek after") or, for example "Jewels are a highly sought...." rather than "Jewels are a highly sought after...."

Finally, is not "tuna fish" redundant? What other kind of tuna is there but the fish? Why not merely and simply "tuna?"

These have been bothering me for a long time and I can not find definitive answers!

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Which is correct, or are both acceptable? Weather forecaster says

"Chance for rain" Sounds OK, just a bit more casual.

or "Threat for showers." I agree, doesn't sound quite right. But weather forecasters are not famous for good English.

I have always said "Chance of rain" and "Threat of showers." Me too.

Why is it that I never see (or hear) "seek" or "sought" without the use of the word "after?" Is it not correct to merely say "I seek" (rather than "I seek after") or, for example "Jewels are a highly sought.." rather than "Jewels are a highly sought after.." Yes, 'after' is not essential. But it adds emphasis and sounds fancier, so it is fine in some contexts.

Finally, is not "tuna fish" redundant? What other kind of tuna is there but the fish? Why not merely and simply "tuna?" It's just idiomatic. We say it because we have a habit of saying it that way. Actually, usage might be changing, because today I more often seem to hear just 'tuna'.

These have been bothering me for a long time and I can not find definitive answers

Clive

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Hi

AnonymousWhich is correct, or are both acceptable? Weather forecaster says "Chance for rain" or "Threat for showers." I have always said "Chance of rain" and "Threat of showers."

Threat of/threat for

The preposition "for" is very rarely used for the object that threatens, but the things or persons that would be damaged by the threat. e.g.

Terrorism is an increasing threat for Middle East stability.
The biggest threat for the future is global warming.

Chance of/for - either one is common, but "chance of" is about 3 times more frequent (American English).

That being said, the usage of prepositions is somewhat fluid in our language. The meaning is clear with either combination.

AnonymousWhy is it that I never see (or hear) "seek" or "sought" without the use of the word "after?" Is it not correct to merely say "I seek" (rather than "I seek after") or, for example "Jewels are a highly sought.." rather than "Jewels are a highly sought after..

seek after is a phrasal verb. It implies that the object is hard to find, rare or highly desired.
Seek by itself just mean to search for.
The victims of the tornado sought for their belongings in the rubble of their homes.

AnonymousFinally, is not "tuna fish" redundant? What other kind of tuna is there but the fish? Why not merely and simply "tuna?"

Tuna is often used alone:
We saw tuna sandwiches, tuna melt and tuna salad on the menu.

Tuna is used alone when talking about fishing:
Bluefin tuna is endangered in some of its habitats.

Anonymous · Answer

AnonymousFinally, is not "tuna fish" redundant? What other kind of tuna is there but the fish? Why not merely and simply "tuna?"

Americans say "tuna fish". Outside the US, it's just tuna. It's weird because the word fish in this context, is unnecessary and therefore wordy. It goes without saying that tuna is a kind of fish. There is no other kind of animal with that name.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

AnonymousThere is no other kind of animal with that name.

But there is another edible tuna - the fruit of certain cacti.

Anonymous · Answer

AlpheccaStars AnonymousThere is no other kind of animal with that name.But there is another edible tuna - the fruit of certain cacti.

That's odd. Is that why Americans add the word "fish" after tuna? What is that fruit called, outside the USA?

Clive · Answer

If you order a tuna sandwich in the USA, you really don't need to worry much that you are going to get a cactus-fruit sandwich!

Clive

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