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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dear all,<br><br>Yesterday I met the new expression for me. and I didn't found it meaning. The expression is "On the third hand". Could anyone help in tracing its meaninga and origine?<br><br>Emmanuel Habumuremyi<br>Rwanda<br><br><div style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin: 5px 0px 5px 5px; padding-left: 5px; font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">----- Message d'origine ----<br>De : bolstar1 <bolstar1@yahoo.com><br>À : lexicographylist@yahoogroups.com<br>Envoyé le : Samedi, 17 Mai 2008, 21h50mn 31s<br>Objet : [Lexicog] Phrase -- Long Word, With Gaps<br><br><div id="ygrp-text"><p> What is a set phrase, but simply a long word with gaps? I came <br>
to this conclusion many years ago when teaching English in Korea, <br>
who's students -- when allowed contact with native speakers (not <br>
merely educated Korean English teachers) -- seemed to lose their <br>
appreciation for the finer points of grammar and vocabulary, and <br>
glommed onto the study in how English speakers really, actually, <br>
truly spoke. That required a focus on phrases. They quickly had me <br>
dialoguing and feeding-back with them in conversational English, <br>
which meant with all the color and imagination of real language -- <br>
including idioms, cliches, aphorisms, proverbs, allusions (e.g. <br>
Bangalore is the silicon valley of India), turns of phrase, <br>
expressions, quotable quotes, etc. (e.g. What native speaker would <br>
not immediately recognize the speaker, and the meaning, of the two <br>
intial, and othewise banal, words in the quote "Ask NOT...?"). And <br>
the more I dialogued with them and checked the phrases against <br>
standard idiom dictionaries, the more dejected I became at the dearth <br>
of the very expressions and allusional references that consitute the <br>
spoken English language. <br>
But phrases are an odd bird, and are subject to more of the "you-<br>
have-to-be-there experience" than simple grammar and vocabulary. This <br>
contextual learning, versus memorization learning, takes space (on <br>
paper, as well as in the flesh). Set phrases often convey a single <br>
idea (but with two elements -- subject and predicate). They often are <br>
simply -- and simple -- noun phrases, or simple verb phrases (with an <br>
added emotional/connotati ve context, or a teaching point). `A penny <br>
saved is a penny earned.' can be considered a phrase, an idiom, a <br>
proverb, and an aphorism. But Franklin simply meant "Save your <br>
money." <br>
This is another reason, amongst many, I'm waiting with bated <br>
breath for a true e-reference world. And this, not merely to be able <br>
to append (via link-clicks) cursory treatments of single-word <br>
definitions, but to include pronuciation (words stressed within <br>
phrases, as opposed to words in isolation), etymologies, regional <br>
variations, frequency evaluation, degrees of <br>
emotion/emphasis/ vulgarity/ politeness, appropriateness in differing <br>
contexts, exemplative and real-world uses, synonyms and synonymous <br>
phrasing (e.g. `(get) angry' = 1) see red 2) go through the roof <br>
3) (be) as mad as a hornet 4) have a hissy fit 4) lose one's <br>
cool/one's temper...the list goes on and on.). Linked backgrounds of <br>
proverbs, allusions, and aphorisms would be an alleviation of a <br>
source of angst and puzzlement amongst learners, especially in <br>
humorous contexts. <br>
As a simple example, when dictionaries list `model', definitions <br>
include words like: good example, pattern, paradigm, prototype, rule, <br>
epitome, ideal, exemplar. This often begs the question of the meaning <br>
of the original word. Synonyms naturally are relied upon. But one <br>
rarely finds corresponding phrasal equivalents or examples (much less <br>
with with usage notes and pronunciation) . <br>
In the following example, various phrases could be substitute <br>
for `model', often assuming the rhetorical form of "allusion": 1) <br>
the gold standard of...; the bench mark' (or benchmark) of...' (model <br>
for physical, qualitative, or quantitative measuring) 2) a `fairy-<br>
tale story' (model of ultimate success story) 3) `the flag bearer <br>
of...' (model of performance; leadership) 4) `a living legend'; `the <br>
stuff of legend'; `the pin-up girl of...'; `the poster boy <br>
of...'; "If there ever was a (something), he is it."; `in true <br>
(something) fashion'; `picture perfect'; `piece de resistance' <br>
(French for idyllic or exemplary) -- (model exemplifying a <br>
particular trait of a person/thing) 5) `hold someone/something up as <br>
a... model'; `roll out a new... model'; `a proof-of-concept model' = <br>
context wording 6) `the spittin' image of...' (model of physical <br>
likeness) 7) `an `all-singing, all-dancing. ..' (model of product <br>
(business) signifying all-roundedness 8) `America's sweetheart' <br>
(model of esteem; adoration; adulation) 9) `capture the moment' <br>
(model of image, impression, concept) 10) `It starts at the top'.; <br>
`For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The <br>
eyes of the people are upon us'. (John Winthrop quote) -- (model of <br>
leadership behavior, in quoted form). <br>
One note regarding pronunciation: accent marks are <br>
straightforward in words (though variations exist between regions), <br>
but often are lost in phrasing. In fact, there are no consistant <br>
rules in phraseology, but are subject to custom and to placement. Who <br>
ever heard of a `shoe shop', not a `shoe shop'? In the previous list <br>
of phrases, `a living legend' stresses the noun `legend', not the <br>
participle adj. `living'; but with `spittin image' it's the reverse, <br>
stressing the participle adj. `spittin', not the noun `'image'. <br>
The e-revolution in publishing will be a watermark in deepening <br>
and broadening the tools of the lexicographer/ student. Particularly <br>
appealing to me is foldable, portable, paper-thin, downloadable, <br>
interactive reference works that allow drilling (which were projected <br>
to be forthcoming, yeeers ago). It's disconcerting that these e-<br>
products are so slow in coming to market. There's just a whole lot of <br>
work to be done. Lexicographers of the world, unite! <br><br>
Scott Nelson<br><br><br></p></div></div></div></div><br>__________________________________________________<br>Do You Yahoo!?<br>En finir avec le spam? Yahoo! Mail vous offre la meilleure protection possible contre les messages non sollicités <br>http://mail.yahoo.fr Yahoo! Mail
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