"meant to have"

[Michael Quinion]

David Sutcliffe said:

> For me, as a British English speaker, "are meant to have died" is not
> noticeably strange at first glance. But I agree, it is strange, on further
> reflection.

My sixpennyworth, also as a British English speaker, is that it sounded
weird when I first read it and it still does. It would certainly have led
me to assume that the speaker was implying that the deaths were planned.


--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
E-mail: wordseditor at worldwidewords.org
Web: http://www.worldwidewords.org

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