do, v.i.

[Jonathan Lighter]

On Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 11:17 AM, Dave Wilton <dave at wilton.net> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dave Wilton <dave at WILTON.NET>
> Subject:      Re: do, v.i.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Those who cannot do, teach.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
> Of
> Ronald Butters
> Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 10:17 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: do, v.i.
>
> Do unto others before they do unto you.
>
> Do as I might, I could not do enough.
>
> Still, I might have done.
>
> On Jan 17, 2011, at 9:00 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>
> > At the memorial service for Richard Holbrooke last week, Pres. Clinton
> > observed that "I loved the guy because he could do - doing in diplomacy
> > saves lives."  He added, "He could do and do."
> >
> > This reminds me of the Witch in Macbeth who says, "I'll do and I'll do
> and
> > I'll do."  But many things remind me of the Witches n Macbeth.
> >
> > The point is that that this usage, which Clinton may or may not have
> picked
> > up from the Witches, is something I can't recall ever hearing it in
> natural,
> > contemporary speech.  The OED entry on "do" is so daunting that I haven't
> > checked adequately for its latest ex..The sense is sonething like "to
> carry
> > out one's intentions with effect; take effective action"
> >
> > JL
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
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"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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