"not over my dead body" [was taking Bush serious(ly)]

[pskuhlman at JUNO.COM]

        I often laugh about Bush's language, but "not over my dead body"
is one I actually grew up saying and hearing said in rural suburban
Illinois northwest of Chicago in the 60's.  The usage goes something like
this:  "Not over my dead body will that happen!"  I think it's a sort of
hyperbolic negation.  I'm not going to let that happen!  It won't happen!
 Not even over my dead body!
        I've also heard the positive version "over my dead body", but
"not over my dead body" is a stronger statement to people who use both
expressions.  Maybe this is all a bit like the "I could care less" and "I
couldn't care less" controversy.

Patricia Kuhlman
Brooklyn, NY
pskuhlman at juno.com

On Mon, 4 Mar 2002 11:22:32 -0500 Drew Danielson
<andrew.danielson at CMU.EDU> writes:
> sagehen wrote:
> >
> >   Robert Fitzke wrote:
> > >Another Bush-ism I've read about is his use of the phrase "not
> over my dead
> > >body" in reference to a tax increase. I expected some comments
> about this
> > >use but have seen none. Wouldn't the appropriate phrase be "over
> my dead
> > >body"?
> > >
> > >Bob (a lurker)
> > ~~~~~~~~
> > Maybe this one was so ridiculous  that it left people speechless.
> I never
> > even heard any of the usual spinners that follow in the wake take
> this one
> > on.  Probably holding their breaths hoping it would just fade
> away.
> > A. Murie
>
>
> It may be that the talking heads are not comfortable referring to
> the
> 'president's dead body', and thought better of correcting this one.
>