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<font size=3>At 12/19/2011 04:10 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">On Dec 19, 2011, at 3:55 PM, Ron
Butters wrote:<br><br>
> It so rarely appears as a bare noun (except as the object of the
preposition "in") that one can scarcely classify it as a
full-fledged noun, either, but rather as an adjective like
"dead" that does not so easily allow comparative
forms.<br><br>
Well, I'd argue that degrees of clutchness (e.g. hitting .400 vs. .300 in
late inning situations with runners on base, successfully kicking 90% vs.
75% of one's field goal attempts in the fourth quarter to tie the game or
give your team the lead) are a lot more easily defined than degrees of
deadness, "deader than a doornail" notwithstanding.<br><br>
><br>
> "How clutch is he as a player?" sounds as good to me as
the quoted example.<br><br>
Exactly as good. This is precisely the pattern of adjectivistic
"fun", except for the synthetic vs. analytic nature of the
compared forms: How fun is it? It seems fun. That was
the funnest ride. (Granted, the last of these seems a
bit…jejune.)</font></blockquote><br>
To me, exactly as bad. But I suppose that's what Larry meant by
"good". (And the same with "fun", but I'm
clearly in the minority.)<br>
Joel<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><font size=3>LH<br>
><br>
> Sent from my Droid Charge on Verizon 4GLTE<br>
><br>
> ------Original Message------<br>
> From: Laurence Horn <laurence.horn@YALE.EDU><br>
> To: <ADS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU><br>
> Date: Monday, December 19, 2011 2:06:11 PM GMT-0500<br>
> Subject: Re: [ADS-L] "the most clutch" (adjectival
phrase)<br>
><br>
> On Dec 19, 2011, at 1:33 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:<br>
><br>
>> At 12/19/2011 11:05 AM, Ronald Butters wrote:<br>
>>> Is the point that this should have been
"clutchest" instead?<br>
>><br>
>> No.<br>
>> Joel<br>
>><br>
><br>
> It's that it's been reanalyzed as an adjective, as the superlative
indicates. "How clutch is he?" would do the same.<br>
><br>
> LH<br>
>><br>
>>> On Dec 19, 2011, at 11:02 AM, Joel S. Berson wrote:<br>
>>><br>
>>>> On Tom Brady yesterday: "the most clutch
quarterback of his era<br>
>>>> reminded everyone why he's still The One."<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> Michael Silver's Morning Rush, Yahoo Sports
Exclusive.<br>
>>>><br>
>>>
<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-silver_morning_rush_tom_brady_tim_tebow_121911" eudora="autourl">
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-silver_morning_rush_tom_brady_tim_tebow_121911</a>
<br>
>>>><br>
>>>> Joel<br>
>>>><br>
>>>>
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>>>
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