"hither to that point" (J. Travolta)

[Dennis R. Preston]

Actors are not well known in the profession for their intellectual
prowess. But sports? Which sports?

dInIs

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>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Brenda Lester <alphatwin2002 at YAHOO.COM>
>Subject:      Re: "hither to that point" (J. Travolta)
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>
>I caught it but didn't understand it.  Most actors are like sports
>people--incomprehensible without a script.
>
>   bl
>
>
>Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU> wrote:
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>Sender: American Dialect Society
>Poster: Laurence Horn
>Subject: "hither to that point" (J. Travolta)
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>Anyone else watching the Oscars? If so, anyone else just hear John
>Travolta (in a segment on how academy members like him vote for their
>choices) say something to the effect of
>
>"hither to that point"
>
>with reduction to schwa on "to" ("hither tuh that point"), so it was
>clearly not "hitherto that point"? The point was a point in time,
>and the meaning was quite obviously "up to that point/moment". I've
>never heard this and don't see any gloss in the OED or AHD that
>really fit this use of "hither", although some of the archaic senses
>in the OED approximate it.
>
>LH
>
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--
It should be the chief aim of a university professor to exhibit
himself [sic] in his own true character - that is, as an ignorant man
thinking, actively utilizing his small share of knowledge. Alfred
North Whitehead

Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
Morrill Hall 15-C
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1036 USA
Office: (517) 353-4736
Fax: (517) 353-3755

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