Do hurricanes hate or love Florida?

[Dennis R. Preston]

>What's wrong with the semantics of 'loving to hate'? Take a look
>around at even some noninanimate exemplars. But in the followiong I
>stick to inanimates:


Conversation 1:
Hurricane: I love Florida, cause it's such a swell place to tear the
hell out of.
dInIs: Hmmm.


Conversation 2:
Hurricane: I hate Florida, and I like to tear the hell out of it.
dInIs: Hmmm.


dInIs


>This, of course, is a question of usage rather than idiom. There's
>no question about what is meant here. The reference is to Charlie,
>Frances, and Ivan visiting the state in quick succession. My
>question is, figuratively speaking, is it really hate that propels
>hurricanes wherever they visit? Does the sentence "Why hurricanes
>hate Florida" (TIME, Sept. 20) make sense?
>
>If you hate a person or thing, you tend to hurt them. But hurricanes
>are hurtful by nature. A hurricane that doesn't cause havoc is no
>hurricane, like a barking animal that doesn't bark. So I think it
>makes more sense to say hurricanes love Florida. I wonder what
>rhetoricians think about this, i.e., if they care to comment on a
>question that may be more appropriate in a Freshman Composition
>class.
>
>TOM PAIKEDAY
>www.paikeday.net


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages
A-740 Wells Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: (517) 432-3099
Fax: (517) 432-2736
preston at msu.edu