Vals Kilmer (like "attorneys general"?)

[Dennis R. Preston]

Of course it is cock-eyed, although French-eyed would be a better
label. The French term (hence the possibility of modifiers to the
eight) indicates the "general" scope of the office-holder's interest,
not a military-like rank at all.

dInIs

>  >For me, it's more like meeting an old friend who's gone tragically insane.
>>
>>   Since when does "Kilmer" modify "Val" ?  Savvy pluralizers realize it's
>>the other way around. Of course nowadays, when anchorclones address
>>everybody but heads of state by hizzahur first name, I suppose one could
>>get the opposite impression.
>>
>>   (Sometimes they'll use a title with a given name or hypocoristic form.
>>Coming at some point : "So, King Charlie, how does it feel to be on the
>>throne ?"  You read it here first.)
>>
>>   JL
>  ~~~~~~~~~~~
>"Attorneys  general":  It still strikes me that there is something
>cock-eyed about this usage.  Why do we address the holder of this office as
>"General?" (As, I suppose, we do the Surgeon General, though I can't
>remember ever hearing one addressed.) This strongly suggests that "general"
>is meant as a rank (noun) and that it is modified by attorney.  Consider
>lieutenant generals and brigadier generals, for instance, also addressed as
>"General."
>AM
>
>~@:>   ~@:>   ~@:>   ~@:>
>
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--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
Morrill Hall 15-C
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1036 USA
Office: (517) 353-4736
Fax: (517) 353-3755

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