"have ever been"

[Jonathan Lighter]

I agree with Wilson and Mark.

  What that means is that the McCarthy quote popped into my head as soon as I read Arnold's exx., which proves obviously it's the source.

  JL

"Mark A. Mandel" <mamandel at LDC.UPENN.EDU> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Mark A. Mandel"
Subject: Re: "have ever been"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree with Troy:
>>>>>

My instinct is that Wilson is on to something. THere's something about that
McCarthy quote that has filtered down through pop-culture and may be
influencing such formulations.

Arguably, there are but a handful of moments when the American public
concentrates on language to an extent where this could be demonstrated,
however this seems to be one.

<<<<<

-- Mark
[This text prepared with Dragon NaturallySpeaking.]

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