LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.05.02 (03) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 02 May 2009 - Volume 03
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From: KarlRein at aol.com
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.05.01 (08) [E]

I find it amazing that anybody attempts to analyze an entire culture based
on the fact that "I am still working (say), my salad" means that I have not
finished eating it, but intend to.  Could it be a leftover discussion from
April Fool's Day?  Or maybe a leftover salad?

Karl Reinhardt

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From: Mike Morgan <mwmosaka at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.05.02 (02) [E]

R/R opined:

 Paul, I have a feeling that "Can I get a.....please?" predominates in the
> States.
>
R/R is certainly better informed than I am as to what is 'au currant' in the
US, but to my (long Asianized) American ears "Can I get a ... please?"
definitely has a takeout ... or fast food ring to it ... as in "get it to
go".

And maybe the "can I get" for "can I have" is connected to the American
tendency to transform expressions for "obtaining" into ones for "possessing"
("I've got 1 sister and 1 brother" ... rather than just "I have" ...
although in fact I did not "get" them)...

mike || U C > || мика  || माईक || マイク
    (( Michael W Morgan, PhD ))
linguist STILL temporarily at large in Bom Bahia
+++++++++++++++++
Mark Twain, great American satirist and humorist, is quoted as saying "A lie
can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its
shoes"... THAT is ONE reason why I never wear shoes ... only
chapals/zoris/flipflops!

•

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