on principle/in principal blend?

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:23 PM -0500 11/20/08, Alison Murie wrote:
>On Nov 20, 2008, at 11:11 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>>Subject:      Re: on principle/in principal blend?
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>At 10:50 PM -0500 11/20/08, Alison Murie wrote:
>>>" While there are those in Parliament, like many Sunnis, who have
>>>objections to elements of the pact, the Sadrists reject any agreement
>>>with the Americans in principle."  NYT story on SOFA debate in Iraq
>>>parliament.
>>>AM
>>>
>>I'm not sure what that parliament debate concerned, but I take it
>>that it wasn't about "sofa" vs. "couch" vs. "davenport"...
>>
>>(I don't see a major problem with "in principle" above, although "on
>>principle" would be my usage; in any case, "in principal" would be
>>impossible for me.)
>>
>>LH
>........or how about "daybed?"    The much-discussed Status of Forces
>Agreement.

Well, I assume they'll sleep on it.

LH

>I couldn't decide  whether "in principal"  is ever used to mean
>"principally", but talked myself into it.  In this case "in
>particular" might be closer to the meaning sought.
>AM
>>
>>
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