on reversed "substitute" (intransitive version)

[Laurence Horn]

On Aug 24, 2011, at 8:41 PM, Arnold Zwicky wrote:

> http://arnoldzwicky.wordpress.com/2011/08/24/more-egotism/
> 
> ——————————————————————————————

In the above post, Arnold characterizes the new pattern as 

"[reversed] substitute OLD for NEW

instead of the older (and still standard) argument structure

[standard] substitute NEW for OLD"



I don't think we've discussed the intransitive counterpart, but I heard an intransitive reversed "substitute" on the radio this morning.   Former star receiver Cris Carter, now an ESPN commentator on football matters, was on Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN radio discussing the possible impact on the Colts' season if the injury sidelining their superstar quarterback Peyton Manning persists.  As Carter said of Manning, "If you substitute him…", you're bound to lose a lot (I wrote down the full conditional but of course misplaced the scrap, but I'm sure about the antecedent.  For those of us still stuck with the older model of lexicon/syntax, that would have to be either "If you substitute for him" or "If you replace him…" to get the intended meaning; "If you substitute him" could only refer to the replacement.  

I tried googling "if you substitute him" and found this example of essentially the same structure but referring to the other kind of football.  I assume the writer (on a Manchester City soccer blog) is from the U.K., whether or not the picture is a clue, but youneverknow. Anyway, if you work through BlueAnorak's quarrel with the Manchester City manager, he's saying the team gets worse when they "substitute" Elano, i.e. when they take him off the pitch (is that the right term?) and replace him with a substitute.  This is the same point Carter was making about Manning, although *that* opinion is about as uncontroversial as they come.  

LH
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http://www.wookieslair.com/node/3686

According to todays press, Hughes is demanding Micah and Elano step up to the plate...
Sorry Hughes
We know you don't like Elano. But when you substitute him, as you regularly do, do we look better or do we get far worse and look more likely to concede as a result? Evidence indicates that the later applies. Not Elano's fault then...

…
Got to say it I'm just so disapointed with you as a manager. What was good last season (our defending) has turned to garbage before our very eyes. Seemingly you have no answer to the problems. You have implemented changes to our defending that simply don't work and your substitutions stink the place out.

So actually, I think it's time for YOU to step up to the plate.

Manchester City - Ruining Football since 2008

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