as ADJ of a N as

[Laurence Horn]

At 10:34 AM -0500 2/23/04, Your Name wrote:
>On Fri, 20 Feb 2004, Beverly Flanigan wrote:
>
>>I think Arnold is right about the split in attitudes toward this
>>usage. I've never used the "of a" structure and don't like it, ...
>
>Ditto here for the "as ADJ of a N as".  (That sort of split in
>awareness is pretty common, isn't it?  Who would say "I could care
>less" to mean "I couldn't care less" if he were paying the least bit
>of attention?)

I would, actually.  I also sometimes say "That was brilliant" to mean
"That was idiotic" or "another beautiful day" to mean "lousy
weather".  I know, I'm just perverse.

>Seán Fitzpatrick
>(Grew up in Chevy Chase, MD in the '50s)

Larry Horn
(grew up in NYC in the 50s)