another meaning reversal

[Rick Barr]

True, not 180 degrees. But there at least 60 degrees in the merger of "I
hardly even know them" + "I don't even know them" to become = "I don't even
hardly know them." The nuances are off.

-- Rick


On Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 11:09 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: another meaning reversal
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 6/26/2010 09:40 AM, Rick Barr wrote:
> >The actor who said it was Rob Schneider, and the movie was
> *Grown-Ups*(2010):
> >"I don't even hardly know them."
> >(The character is referring to his daughters.)
>
> "I don't even barely know them"?  (I don't see "hardly"as a
> 180-degree reversal.)
>
> Joel
>
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