(neither) nor

[Marc Sacks]

=
> On May 8, 2007, at 7:25 AM, Beverly Flanigan wrote:
>
>> Has anyone ever heard this kind of phrase sans "neither":
>> "Kent Smith nor anyone from that office was present . . . ."
>> The meaning was clearly "neither KS nor anyone else ...."
>
>
This "nor" sounds like the "not...including" construction meant
positively, which I heard in a drug ad on the radio. Before listing side
effects, the voice says the drug "is not for everybody, including people
with liver conditions. . ." He means that it is for everybody, excluding
... but phrases it in reverse.

Is there a name for this phenomenon? Has it been discussed recently?


Marc Sacks
msacks at theworld.com

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