Taking Bush Serious(ly)

[Beverly Flanigan]

At 09:51 PM 3/3/02 -0500, you wrote:
>Matthew Gordon writes:
>"Isn't this an object complement structure (or isn't it analyzable as
>such)? i.e. 'taking it (to be) serious'"
>
>I don't think so. You are assuming "take" in this context means
>"consider." I believe that in the idiom "to take something seriously",
>"take" means "to deal with." This is among the word's many meanings in
>standard dictionaries (e.g., to take something in stride). Indeed,
>Webster's New World, as an example for the "deal with" meaning, uses "to
>take a matter seriously."
>
>Steve Boatti

I agree with Steve.  Adverbs without -ly are extremely common, especially
in the South Midland (and South?).  I had a grad student from Pittsburgh
who only became conscious of the -ly option after entering grad school.  He
asked survey informants if they "said so-and-so different" and was told
(not by me!) that "differently" was the "correct" form.  Bush is just a
typical South/South Midlander--and he's from Midland, Texas!

_____________________________________________
Beverly Olson Flanigan         Department of Linguistics
Ohio University                     Athens, OH  45701
Ph.: (740) 593-4568              Fax: (740) 593-2967
http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/linguistics/dept/flanigan.htm