"for" = of

Jonathan Lighter wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM
Thu Dec 10 17:24:32 UTC 2009


I still think it sounds weird.  To (or even "for") me, to "be true for"
means solely "be true in the opinion of," as in New Age-Deconstructo
contexts like, "The Law of Gravity may be true for you, but it isn't true
for me."

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_capitol_for_Kuwait  asks, "What is the
capitol [sic] for Kuwait?"

JL



On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 12:13 PM, Charles Doyle <cdoyle at uga.edu> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: "for" = of
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "As is true for many a fanciful story" sounds fine to me (unlike "the voice
> for the president"). Doesn't "(be) true for" have its own idiomatic
> standing?
>
> --Charlie
>
>
> ---- Original message ----
> >Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 19:12:38 -0500
> >From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> (on behalf of
> Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>)
> >Subject: Re: "for" = of
> >
> >2005 James R. Hansen _First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong_ (N.Y.: Simon
> & Schuster) 428: As is true for many a fanciful story, the stories about
> Apollo 11's UFO "sightings" have a kernel of truth.
> >
> >JL
> >
> >On Sat, Dec 5, 2009 at 12:26 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> >wrote:
> >
> >> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >> -----------------------
> >> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> >> Subject:      Re: "for" = of
> >>
> >>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >> 2009
> >> http://www.badassoftheweek.com/mccool.html: Full texts for the Fenian
> >> Cycle.
> >>
> >> JL
> >>
> >> On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 10:46 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>  > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >> > -----------------------
> >> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> >> > Subject:      Re: "for" = of
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> >
> >> > At 11/3/2009 08:31 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >> > >CNN was discussing White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs this a.m.
> >>  As
> >> > >the anchor described Gibbs (idiomatically) as "the voice of the
> >> > President,"
> >> > >a panel appeared at the bottom of the screen reading, "Voice For the
> >> > >President."
> >> > >
> >> > >The panel remained while Gibbs was being interviewed.
> >> >
> >> > Well, he wouldn't be the Voice Against the President, would he?  :-)
> >> >
> >> > Joel
> >> >
> >> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> "There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
> >> Platypus"
> >>
> >>  ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >--
> >"There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
> >Platypus"
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



--
"There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
Platypus"

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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