"way overpay" as a unit

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:42 PM -0400 6/3/11, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
>Why is "way" used as an adverb meaning "exaggeratedly" a problem? it is not
>used in formal writing, but it doesn't klang to my ears.
>
>DanG

Victor's claim wasn't that adverbial "way" sounds odd in general, but
that it sounds odd modifying a verb ("...prepared to way overpay") as
opposed to its use modifying an adjective ("way wrong"), or I assume
a preposiional phrase ("that's way out of line"), or for that matter
a participial adjective ("congressmen are way overpaid").  I agree
with the observation, but YMMV.

LH

>On Jun 3, 2011 5:51 PM, "victor steinbok" <aardvark66 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>>  Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster: victor steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
>>  Subject: "way overpay" as a unit
>>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  This is another usage flag that appears to be quite common, but still
>grate=
>>  s
>>  on my ears. I have no problem with "way ADV". Perhaps there are instances
>o=
>>  f
>>  "way V" that work--I can't think of any, at the moment, but they might
>>  exist". But "to way overpay" just seems wrong...
>>
>>  With the Globe=92s business having stabilized and the Times Co.=92s debt
>bu=
>>  rden
>>>  eased, Edmonds writes, =93It looks to me like a keeper for the
>company--u=
>>  nless
>>>  someone comes forward with cash and is prepared to way overpay.=94
>>
>>  http://www.dankennedy.net/
>>
>>  VS-)
>>
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>
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