[Ads-l] when = 'if'

[Jonathan Lighter]

You're absolutely right, Ben. At least it's "if" in this version.

But the major point stands.  I've heard the "when" usage a number of times,
though only in humorous contexts, likely just within this decade.

JL

On Tue, Sep 29, 2015 at 2:16 PM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: when = 'if'
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Tue, Sep 29, 2015 at 1:55 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >
> > OED when, def. 8a ends by saying "sometimes nearly = 'if.'"
> >
> > Cites go back to ca1175.
> >
> > There is, however what I take to be a recent usage that goes further and
> >  essentially equals "if."
> >
> > Current TV commercial:
> >
> > "When you're a cat, you ignore people. It's what you do."
> >
> > I.e., you ignore people "if" you're a cat. "When" implies there are times
> > when you're not.
> >
> > Which is never, if you're a cat.
>
> I think you might have misheard that, Jon. Sounds like "if" to me:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk_6_VhwijA
>
> It's one of a series of Geico commercials involving versions of the
> line, "If you're X, you Y. It's what you do."
>
> --bgz
>
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