prepositions again

Victor Steinbok aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM
Wed Oct 26 21:53:45 UTC 2011


This is the link you want: http://goo.gl/RVHmJ

I have no problem with "attracted to" with concepts rather than persons,
but there are limits. One can be attracted to a story, a subject, a
sport, deal. "Attracted by" would be for charm, magnetism, charisma,
quality (i.e., properties). But I would not necessarily object to
crossovers--at least, I don't think I would, in the abstract. But
"attracted in/into" would only work in the sense"sucked in", which is
clearly /not/ the case here. Even then, the judgment may have to be ad hoc.

     VS-)

On 10/26/2011 5:25 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
> In today's Times, an article about historian Taylor Branch's extremely =
> critical view of the NCAA and its treatment of amateurism,=20
> =
> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/sports/ncaafootball/historian-taylor-bra=
> nch-delivers-critical-view-of-ncaa.html,
> includes this passage:
>
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>
> ...Branch, The Atlantic, and the e-book publisher Byliner agreed to =
> produce a 25,000-word e-book version of the article retitled, =93The =
> Cartel,=94 which included sections on Title IX and Division III =
> football.      =20
>
> =93I wouldn=92t say we were attracted in the scandal,=94 Mark Bryant, =
> Byliner=92s co-founder and editorial director, said. =93We were more =
> into how the N.C.A.A. was being run. Rather than just make it a scandal =
> story, Taylor=92s such an extraordinary historian that he gave us a =
> history of the N.C.A.A. to give us an idea of how things have gotten to =
> this point.=94      =20
>
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>
> So, "X is/was attracted in Y".  For me, the only possibilities are =
> "attracted by"--or in some cases, esp. if the goal is a person, =
> "attracted to", with a slightly different meaning.  I thought (and =
> continue to think) that this might be a blend of "attracted by" and =
> "interested in", especially in the actual context, but a bit of googling =
> confirms that Mr. Bryant is not alone:
>
> www.loveshack.org/forums/t37306/
> How can you tell a guy is sexually attracted in you.
>
> http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=3D20110726215827AAydvRl
> Guys: what makes you attracted in a girl?
> My friend (A girl) is attracted in the mass murderer Breivik, is she a =
> psychopath?
>
> www.catholicnewsagency.com =9B News =9B Europe
> Polish programs support the same-sex attracted in chaste living
>
> A number of the hits are likely not from native speakers and most are =
> false hits ("attracted in the first half of the year", "attracted in =
> 1997", etc.)*, but a number aren't.  Is ["attracted in" + Goal] a =
> standard option for anyone else?
>
> LH

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