double bind

[Arnold Zwicky]

On May 21, 2012, at 8:30 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:

> From a comment on G+:
>
>> Does anyone see what's the tactic is?
>
> This has become typical in comments and I've heard it is speech even
> longer. Does anyone care or is this such old news that I should just
> ignore it?

here's an occasion where i really want to know what "this" is, and would like to see more examples of this phenomenon you claim to be very common.  relevant examples of "what's the * is" are extremely hard to search for.  but in trying to dredge up more examples, i did come across some wonderful stuff of the form
  what's the EXPLETIVE is
some examples (of a great many):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2jnpjm2Lh0
  What's the heck is Eugenics?

http://davemosher.com/blog/2010/whats-the-frak-is-at-nycs-union-square-subway-stop/
  What’s the frak is at NYC’s Union Square subway stop?
  Every day — make that twice a day — a vexing questions pops into my head as I stroll through Union Square’s subway stop en route to work: What the heck is this thing/device/contraption?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whats-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-your-face-Nan-please-he-has-down-sindrome/170327143035026
  What's the fuck is wrong with your face?

and then examples with forms of DO rather than BE:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=36239564
  What's the hell did that have to do with Absolut?

http://www.powerbot.org/community/topic/519502-whats-the-fuck-does-this-mean/
  What's the fuck does this mean!!?!!??!


> These two are not problematic:
>
> a. I don't see what's the issue with bringing him in on the job.
> b. I don't see what the issue is with bringing him in on the job.
>
> Perhaps a. is a bit colloquial. But we could get a blend.
>
> c. I don't know what's the issue is with bringing him in on the job.

this blend analysis is initially plausible for "what's the tactic is" ("what's the tactic" + "what the tactic is"), but it's out of the question for the expletive examples.  instead, all these examples look like cases of "excrescent "'s""; see extensive discussion on this list in 2007 with this header, looking at WHAT'S IF, HOW'S TO, WHAT'S ELSE (and HOW COME'S and WHAT ABOUT'S).  the effect of the excrescent "'s" seems to be reinforcement or emphasis of the clause-initial WH expression.

back in 2007 i was surprised at how common excrescent "'s" was, and now i'm surprised again at it in the expletive examples (which i don't recall having seen before).

arnold

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