"way overpay" as a unit

[victor steinbok]

Is there a "way overbloviate"? My comment on "way V" vs. "way ADV" was meant
to be general. I did not mean to suggest that the present
expression--literally or figuratively--was an ADV.

FWIW, I would not be happy with any of these verbs--productive or not. The
question is HOW this is productive? Are they all back-formed? Or is "way"
being "productive" here?

My point was that in "it's way too much", "way overblown", "way overpaid",
"way" can be analyzed separately from the head word or phrase to which it is
attached. For example, you can replace "way" with "much" in most of these
cases and not lose a whole lot. The only conclusion I can reach on "to way
overpay" is that "way" serves the function of a prefix rather than an
independently formed modifier. "To much overpay" would be just as awkward as
the original.

VS-)

On Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 9:17 PM, <ronbutters at aol.com> wrote:

>
> Well, "way overpay" seems at worst to be nothing more complicated than a
> back formation from the past-participle form "way overpaid." (And an ADJ
> form, not ADV.) However, it is productive in the sense of 'far too greatly":
> there is, for example, "way overrepresent," as well as "way overanalyze."
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Jun 3, 2011, at 5:50 PM, victor steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> > This is another usage flag that appears to be quite common, but still
> grates
> > on my ears. I have no problem with "way ADV". Perhaps there are instances
> of
> > "way V" that work--I can't think of any, at the moment, but they might
> > exist". But "to way overpay" just seems wrong...
> >
> > With the Globe’s business having stabilized and the Times Co.’s debt
> burden
> >> eased, Edmonds writes, “It looks to me like a keeper for the
> company--unless
> >> someone comes forward with cash and is prepared to way overpay.”
> >
> > http://www.dankennedy.net/
> >
> > VS-)
>

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