Merely a matter of taste?

[Wilson Gray]

No, the context doesn't rule that interpretation out. I'd also accept
that as being what the speaker had in mind, as a matter of fact. I
should have thought of it, myself.

-Wilson

On 8/22/06, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Merely a matter of taste?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Or,  "They haven't done anything *except* drive me crazy."
>
>   Or did the context rule that interpretation out?
>
>   JL
>
> Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Wilson Gray
> Subject: Re: Merely a matter of taste?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I think that, insofar as I have a problem with the original statement,
> that problem is the slight ambiguity in it:
>
> 1) All of their actions, taken as a whole, have driven me crazy
> [If they had stopped after doing X, I would have had no problem with them]
>
> 2) Each of their actions, taken individually, has driven me crazy
> [Whatever they've supposedly done for me, I have a problem with them]
>
> I think that the speaker had (2) in mind. Or not. :-)
>
> -Wilson
>
> On 8/22/06, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> > Sender: American Dialect Society
> > Poster: Jonathan Lighter
> > Subject: Re: Merely a matter of taste?
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Sounds perfectly standard to me.
> >
> > JL
> >
> > Wilson Gray wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> > Sender: American Dialect Society
> > Poster: Wilson Gray
> > Subject: Merely a matter of taste?
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > The plaintiffs list what they'e done for the benefit of the defendant.
> > The defendant replies:
> >
> > "All they've done is drive me crazy."
> >
> > In the context in which this was spoken, I would have expected:
> >
> > "_The only thing they've done_ is drive me crazy."
> >
> > Nevertheless, what was actually said somehow seems to verge upon
> > "correct" for me.
> >
> > --Wilson
> >
> > There's only one thing that money can't buy and that's poverty.
> >
> > --Jack Benny
> >
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>
> --Jack Benny
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--
There's only one thing that money can't buy and that's poverty.

--Jack Benny

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