Soonest = as soon as

[Wilson Gray]

Telegraphese? Precisely the term that I'd been searching for.

-Wilson

On 8/20/07, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Soonest = as soon as
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 8:44 PM -0400 8/20/07, Wilson Gray wrote:
> >I agree with A. I've long heard "'soonest" in the meaning, "as soon as
> >possible." I have the *very* vague impression that it started out as a
> >Briticism. That is to say, I don't think that I've ever heard it in
> >the wild, but I'm very familiar with it from TV and movies.
> >
> >-Wilson
>
> I agree; more "ASAP" than "as soon as", and there's something of
> telegraphese about it.
>
> LH
>
> >
> >On 8/20/07, sagehen <sagehen at westelcom.com> wrote:
> >>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>-----------------------
> >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>  Poster:       sagehen <sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM>
> >>  Subject:      Re: Soonest = as soon as
> >>
> >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>  >Has anyone ever heard or seen "soonest" used to mean "as soon as?" I saw
> >>  >it used a few times today by someone from California, possibly a second
> >>  >language learner.
> >>  >
> >>  >Scot
> >>  >~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >>  As a synonym for asap, it's pretty common.  I don't think I've ever heard
> >>  (or read) it used "as soon as..." anything other than "possible."
> >>  It certainly isn't confined to ESL speakers.
> >>  AM
> >>
> >>
> >>  ~@:>   ~@:>   ~@:>   ~@:>
> >>
> >>  ------------------------------------------------------------
> >>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>
> >
> >
> >--
> >All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
> >come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> >-----
> >                                               -Sam'l Clemens
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                              -Sam'l Clemens

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org