Evil passive voice

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Tue, May 15, 2007 at 10:03:38AM -0700, Arnold M. Zwicky wrote:
> On May 14, 2007, at 12:35 PM, Doug Harris wrote:
>
> >Exerpt from AMZ's Language Log contribution:
> >
> >
> >Very. Avoid this lukewarm, unspecific adverb....
> >
> >--
> >Moments after reading that I encountered
> >this in the Oneonta NY Daily Star, in an
> >article reporting on a local farmer's
> >encounter with a bolt of lightning:
> >
> >Doring was "very, very, very sore," Huyck said,
> >adding that he'll need some follow-up medical
> >attention and tests.
> >
> >The lesson is, of course, that while 'very'
> >on its own isn't very impressive, verily,
> >very, very very is.
>
> ca. 69,800 google webhits for {"very very afraid"}.  some have the
> whole formula
>   Be afraid.  Be very, very afraid.
> some just the second part, but pretty clearly in allusion to the
> formula.
>
> anyone know the source?  (i am once again away from fred shapiro's
> excellent quotations dictionary.)

It's from the 1986 horror film _The Fly_, in the form "Be afraid.
Be very afraid."

Jesse Sheidlower
OED

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