do, v.i.

[Jonathan Lighter]

Mostly frozen forms, a parody, and the ex. of a different meaning don't
count. I said "natural contemporary speech."

Ever heard:

?He sure knows how to do!

?We'd better start to do on this matter.

?I've had trouble before, but this time I think I can do!

?Why aren't you doing?

JL

On Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 11:51 AM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:

>
>
> On Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 11:17 AM, Dave Wilton <dave at wilton.net> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> 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."
>> >
>> > ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
>
> --
>  "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
>



--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org