Thrice as much

Question

Some time ago I was told in this ng that "thrice" is still used in adjectives such as "thrice-weekly". What do you think of "thrice as much"?

Do you deem "thrice" to be commoner in the US than in Britain?
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Conversation like television set on honeymoon: unnecessary. (Murder by Death)

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Some time ago I was told in this ng that "thrice" is still used in adjectives such as "thrice-weekly". What do you think of "thrice as much"?[/nq]
Might be used in AmE for humorous or comical purposes. Over 4000 Google hits, but a lot of these seem to be Commonwealth English, ESL English (e.g. LoddE), and archaic (pre-20th century) Modern English. But if Ron says it's okay, I'm'a start usin' it.
[nq:1]Do you deem "thrice" to be commoner in the US than in Britain?[/nq]
Cultural stereotypes in the US suggest that it would be, which probably means that it isn't.
Google:
thrice 11900
thrice site:.uk 80400
Richoux Ratio: 15:1
COMPARE:
"cheesy bits" 684
"cheesy bits" site:.uk 310
Richoux Ratio: 2:1
"sexed up" wmd report 25600
"sexed up" wmd report site:.uk 2530
Richoux Ratio: 10:1
"mornington crescent" 127000
"mornington crescent" site:.uk 35000
Richoux Ratio: 4:1
"eccles cakes" 3390
"eccles cakes" site:.uk 1190
Richoux Ratio: 3:1
From these results I'd conclude that, if anything, "thrice" is "commoner" in the US.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Some time ago I was told in this ng that ... as "thrice-weekly". What do you think of "thrice as much"?[/nq]
I would never use it. I don't remember seeing or hearing it.
[nq:1]Might be used in AmE for humorous or comical purposes. Over 4000 Google hits, but a lot of these seem to be Commonwealth English, ESL English (e.g. LoddE), and archaic (pre-20th century) Modern English. But if Ron says it's okay, I'm'a start usin' it.[/nq]
[nq:2]Do you deem "thrice" to be commoner in the US than in Britain?[/nq]
I don't deem "deem" to be common anywhere, any more.
[nq:1]Cultural stereotypes in the US suggest that it would be, which probably means that it isn't. Google: thrice 11900 thrice ... cakes" site:.uk 1190 Richoux Ratio: 3:1 From these results I'd conclude that, if anything, "thrice" is "commoner" in the US.[/nq]
Richard, please do not attach my name to these. Searching on "site:.uk" or "site:uk" has been shown to be unreliable and essentially meaningless, for three or four different reasons.

Best Donna Richoux

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Cultural stereotypes in the US suggest that it would be, ... conclude that, if anything, "thrice" is "commoner" in the US.[/nq]
[nq:1]Richard, please do not attach my name to these. Searching on "site:.uk" or "site:uk" has been shown to be unreliable and essentially meaningless, for three or four different reasons.[/nq]
I wouldn't say it's meaningless. Look at those results they're pretty much what you'd expect. Esoteric food items known only within the UK, like "cheesy bits" and "Eccles cakes", have a
relatively low ratio. Nearly-as-esoteric cultural oddities or insanities like the "Mornington Crescent" phenomenon, incomprehensible to Americans and others (except perhaps AusE and SAfrE pretenders), have nearly as low a ratio. But take something like "sexed up" combined with "wmd" and "report". Although that concerned a UK-specific event and is associated with a UK idiom that was, until recently, unknown in AmE (and perhaps even RonE) namely, "sexed up" it was so widely reported in the international press that it gets a relatively high ratio.

If "thrice" were really so much commoner in BrE, I think we'd see a lower ratio.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Richard, please do not attach my name to these. Searching on "site:.uk" or "site:uk" has been shown to be unreliable and essentially meaningless, for three or four different reasons.[/nq]
When was that?

Mark Brader, Toronto "Perhaps their software was written by (Email Removed) a Byzan-tine-ager" Peter Neumann

Usenet · Answer

(-)
[nq:1]I don't deem "deem" to be common anywhere, any more.[/nq]
Your confidence in this resides in a Richoux ratio tucked away in your extensive archives no doubt, but I for one might be interested in seeing the evidence. Please share.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Some time ago I was told in this ng that "thrice" is still used in adjectives such as "thrice-weekly". What do you think of "thrice as much"?[/nq]
Thrice as little.
[nq:1]Do you deem "thrice" to be commoner in the US than in Britain?[/nq]
Well, it ain't common here, unless you're Stephen Fry.

"Thrice" is an example of an as-yet unnamed type of word which I would describe as "It exists so I should use it." This affliction is common among speakers of English as a foreign language. Another example is the overuse of "Xmas" among such people.
Adrian (UK)

Usenet · Answer

Adrian Bailey wrote on 10 May 2005:

It's not common in American English either, but I use it sometimes. You'd expect that, though, now, wouldn't you?
[nq:1]"Thrice" is an example of an as-yet unnamed type of word[/nq]
Nonsense. It's an adverb:
(quote: W3NID)
Main Entry: thrice
Function: adverb
Etymology: Middle English thries, from thrie three times (from Old English thriga, thriwa) + -es, gen. singular ending of nouns (functioning adverbially, as in nedes needs); akin to Old Frisian thria three times, Old Saxon thriio, thriwo; derivatives from the root of Old English *** three * more at THREE, -S
1 : three times a cleaning woman thrice weekly should do WaldoFrank* *bells ... which thrice daily chime ~ the Angelus American Guide Series: California

2 a : in a threefold manner or degree b : to high degree : FULLY,REPEATEDLY used as an intensive thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just ~ Shakespeare
(/quote)
[nq:1]which I would describe as "It exists so I should use it."[/nq]
Shakespeare used it, so that says nothing but good things about it. Who cares whether Jane Austen or the Brontes used it? Will is good enough to justify the word.
I'd say "It exists, so I can use it if I need it." Sometimes I feel I do need it. Why not?
[nq:1]This affliction is common among speakers of English as a foreign language.[/nq]
It's also common among native anglophones. They are a sloppy lot and often speak without thinking.
[nq:1]Another example is the overuse of "Xmas" among such people.[/nq]
Goodness, Adrian. "Xmas"? Why can't you bear its use as a symbol? That also has a long and even more ancient pedigree than "thrice". That "X" was used in ancient Greek and still may be in modern Greek, for all I know to stand for "Christ". Another quote from W3NID about the symbol "X":
"3 capitalized (from the Greek letter X) Christ : Christian"

In English, the pronunciation is (kai). The symbol is so much easier to write than the entire word.

Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor
For email, replace numbers with English alphabet.
"*** is a concept by which we measure our pain."
John Lennon (1970)

Usenet · Answer

Children used "thrice" in the '50s as part of the choosing ritual "odds and evens": "Once, twice, thrice, shoot." Maybe they still do. CDB

Usenet · Answer

That is of course very hard to avoid.
The required knowledge is negative:
knowing that certain expressions are not used.
The same problem occurs when trying to speak
an other dialect or variant of your own language consistently. For example, an American wanting to pass for a Brit among the Brits would find it very hard to avoid using the wrong words or constructions.
Much harder probably than imitating a British accent.

But isn't 'thrice' in the Snark?
Jan

"I've told you thrice!"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Thrice as little. Well, it ain't common here, unless you're ... Another example is the overuse of "Xmas" among such people.[/nq]
[nq:1]That is of course very hard to avoid. The required knowledge is negative: knowing that certain expressions are not used. ... using the wrong words or constructions. Much harder probably than imitating a British accent. But isn't 'thrice' in the Snark?[/nq]
Yes, but then so is "snark".
On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with using "thrice" in modern discourse. My sense is that it's just that its scope is very limited: you could occasionally say something like "thrice-daily xxxs" without raising eyebrows; but I think it would become odd if you used it a lot, and nearly always plain bizarre if you used it as the simple adverb = "three times". I'd never seriously say "I've been to Dublin thrice", but I might say "(A) Thrice-daily dose(s) of aspirin didn't help".

Mike.

Thrice as much

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