X to Y : Plato to NATO, Monkeys to Junkies (Was Re: Rocks for Jocks, etc.)

[victor steinbok]

I am not convinced that this is necessarily or exclusively the usage
here. It could be "[from] Plato to NATO", but it could also be
"[teaching] Plato to NATO". The latter is certainly true for "monkeys
to junkies".

VS-)

On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 12:52 PM, Neal Whitman <nwhitman at ameritech.net> wrote:
>
> So, it looks like the shortening of "from X to Y" down to just "X to Y" that
> I asked about exactly two years ago has been going on since at least 1980.
>
> The 2008 thread began with:
> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0804D&L=ADS-L&P=R12523&X=711C143820D77CD6CF&Y=nwhitman%40ameritech.net
>
> Neal
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 11:48 AM
> Subject: Re: Rocks for Jocks, etc. (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
>
>>
>> More ---
>>
>> On Language By William Safire New York Times Jul 20, 1980;  pg. SM2 col
>> 2
>> "More recent examples are ... European civilization's
>> "Plato to NATO," anthropology's "Monkeys to Junkies" and .... "

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