first ever!

[Laurence Horn]

At 6:39 PM -0400 7/19/09, Victor wrote:
>Just wanted to share this headline:
>
>>>Edmonton lab gets first ever Japanese Microscope
>http://www.inews880.com/Channels/Reg/LocalNews/story.aspx?ID=1116235
>
>For me, "first ever" means that it did not exist before. Not so for this
>Canadian headline--these microscopes have never been built or operated
>outside of Japan, but they've certainly been in existence in Japan for
>some time.
>
>    VS-)
>
I'm not sure it has that reading for me, or not exclusively.  Given
that the headline is, I assume, elliptical for "(An) Edmonton lab
gets its first ever Japanese microscope", and not for "...gets the
first ever Japanese microscope", it's no odder in principle than
"Nolan Ryan Pitches Seventh No-Hitter", which would be universally
interpreted as describing the 7th no-hitter thrown by Ryan, not by
anyone ever.  Or "Elizabeth Taylor Weds 5th Husband".  But what of
"Baby Takes First Steps Ever"?   There are 28K "first steps ever"
hits on google, many of which would lend themselves to such a
headline (assuming the headline writer is a parent of the child in
question). Or

"US inaugurates first black president ever"

which I think is compatible with there having been black presidents
of, say, countries in Africa (*its* first, not *the* first, once
again).



LH

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