"hither to that point" (J. Travolta)

[Dennis Preston]

Funny. I generally understand them better than I do many linguists.

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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)
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>sports? mostly baseball and football--players, commentators, and writers.
>
>   Did you see the headline in the NY TIMES following the Roger
>Clemens congressional hearing:  "A Day to Misremember"?  Some ADSL
>folks found "misremember," but how often do you hear it?
>
>   Here's a song for your enjoyment:
>
>
>http://www.scoresreport.com/2008/02/19/the-roger-clemens-%E2%80%9Cmisremembers%E2%80%9D-song/
>
>   bl
>
>
>"Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU> wrote:
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>Sender: American Dialect Society
>Poster: "Dennis R. Preston"
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>Subject: Re: "hither to that point" (J. Travolta)
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>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
>>Poster: Brenda Lester
>>Subject: Re: "hither to that point" (J. Travolta)
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>I caught it but didn't understand it. Most actors are like sports
>>people--incomprehensible without a script.
>>
>>  bl
>>
>>
>>Laurence Horn wrote:
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>>Sender: American Dialect Society
>>Poster: Laurence Horn
>>Subject: "hither to that point" (J. Travolta)
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>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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--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
Morrill Hall 15-C
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48864 USA

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