"for" = of

[Charles Doyle]

Dipping almost randomly into early-20th-century mathematical and philosophical journals, I find an abundance of such phrasing as "true for all values of the variable."

--Charlie


---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:24:32 -0500
>From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> (on behalf of Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>)
>Subject: Re: "for" = of
>
>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-Deconstructonist 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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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org