Soonest = as soon as

[Wilson Gray]

"I'll do it soonest I can" seems strange to me, too. But then, so does
"I''ll do it the soonest I can." However, "I'll do it soon as I can"
is passable and not uncommon.

-Wilson

On 8/20/07, Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at hotmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Scot LaFaive <spiderrmonkey at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Soonest = as soon as
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I also have heard it (ex. "I'll do it the soonest I can"), but never without
> the determiner preceding "soonest" ("I'll do it soonest I can"), which was
> the way I saw it that seemed so strange to me.
>
>
>
> >From: Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> >Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> >Subject: Re: Soonest = as soon as
> >Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:51:13 -0400
> >
> >---------------------- 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
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>  ~@:>   ~@:>   ~@:>   ~@:>
> > >>
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> > >
> > >--
> > >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
> > >
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--
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

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