Is the Pope Catholic?

[Laurence Horn]

At 3:31 PM -0400 3/24/09, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Another early ex. of the rhetorical strategy:
>
>1719 _The Younger Brother; or, The Sham Marquis_ (London: J. Brotherton et
>al.) 36: _Carb._ ...But what Wine do you drink, Gentlemen?---  _Hor._ Have
>you any French? _Carb._ Has a Ship three Masts? I'll bring you a Flask you
>shall be...well pleas'd with.
>
>JL
>
As opposed to "Has a ship four masts?" which would be a rhetorical
negation, akin to the contemporary "Does the Pope endorse condoms?"

LH

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