do, v.i.

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:58 AM -0500 1/17/11, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Mostly frozen forms, a parody, and the ex. of a different meaning

In particular, examples of the auxiliary verb (U.K. "I didn't go but
I might have done", corresponding to U.S. "...but I might have
(gone)") don't count.  Nor does "That'll do", "It will do", which is
again a different "do" = 'suffice'.

None of the relevant cases sound possible to me, although somehow "I
have to do" sounds like a euphemism in the making.

LH

>  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

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