Evil passive voice

[Laurence Horn]

At 10:03 AM -0700 5/15/07, 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.)
>
Somehow I hear that against the theme bars from "Jaws", which
suggests a link.  Is that a line from the film, or the advertisement
for it?

LH

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