"for" = of

[Jonathan Lighter]

Then something screwy is happening in the distribution of "for."

Not even a mathematician would write, "What is the capitol for Kuwait?"
JL
On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 2:38 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
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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
> >> >> >
> >> >> > ------------------------------------------------------------
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> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> "There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
> >> >> Platypus"
> >> >>
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> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >--
> >> >"There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
> >> >Platypus"
> >> >
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> >> >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"
> >
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> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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