missing "n't"!

[Lynne Murphy]

I'm replying to myself this time.  (Don't I have some work to do...?)

I found it particularly ironic that in my zeal for the "n't" in "couldn't
care less", I lost the "n't" in "isn't"!

>> But this means that simple phonological reduction is the whole story for
>> why it's lost--lexicalization (idiomatization?) of the phrase was a
>> necessary first step.

(That should be "isn't the whole story".)

BTW, it was kind of George to mention my chapter in the Lex/Encyclo volume.
I've already changed my mind about some of the things I said in it!  Wait
for the book--or better yet, the movie.

Lynne

M Lynne Murphy
Lecturer in Linguistics
School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
University of Sussex
Brighton BN1 9QH
UK

phone +44-(0)1273-678844
fax   +44-(0)1273-671320