Why is it that way?

Question

Hi,Can you please tell me why a person would use the first phrases and not the second phrases? Can you give me some insight as to their usage? Is that a case of emphasis?too much hassle     vs.     too much of  hassletoo much kindness    vs.    too much of  kindness

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Can you please tell me why a person would use the first phrases and not the second phrases? Can you give me some insight as to their usage? Is that a case of emphasis?

too much hassle vs. too much of a hassle

There's not a lot of difference. The 'countable' version suggest more that the speaker is thinking of a particular activity as being troublesome.

eg I hate school. Doing my homework is too much hastle.

eg Doing this week's homework assignment is too much of a hastle.

too much kindness vs. too much of a kindness

The same kind of comment.

Best wishes, Clive

Cool Breeze · Answer

CliveHi,

Can you please tell me why a person would use the first phrases and not the second phrases? Can you give me some insight as to their usage? Is that a case of emphasis?

too much hassle vs. too much of a hassle

There's not a lot of difference. The 'countable' version suggest more that the speaker is thinking of a particular activity as being troublesome.

eg I hate school. Doing my homework is too much hastle.

eg Doing this week's homework assignment is too much of a hastle.

too much kindness vs. too much of a kindness

The same kind of comment.

Best wishes, Clive

Hi Clive

Hastle? Is it Canadian?

Cheers
CB

Believer · Answer

Hi,

Can we employ that type of phrasal construction for both uncountable and countable nouns? I am guessing that not all countable and uncountable nouns can be the parties to this type of transformation. I think the word "kindness" is uncountable.

too much of a kindness -- I think, from your response regarding the case of "hassle," it can be safely said for this phrase that the speaker is viewing a particular instance of happiness as being too much.

How about this? I am particularly curious because I seem to see that kind of phrases a lot these days.

too much of a good thing -- too much of a particular thing?? Why use a quantifying phrase "too much" in front of a countable frame (?) "a good thing" ? Is it a prevalent practice?

I think this type of phrasal construction is useful to some extent because it gives some functional latitude in the exercise of the writer's legitimate stylistic whim.

(Sorry, I accidentally and mistakenly deleted the article "a" for both phrases in the original post.)

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Hastle? Is it Canadian? Perhaps. It's certainly a Cliveism.

It's a pretty informal word, almost slang.

Best wishes, Clive

PS Yes, too much of a . . . is a popular idiomatic expression.

J Lewis · Answer

In Britain I've always seen hassle, not hastle.

Why is it that way?

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