Fun with phrases: "in a previous life"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Like I said, "tomorrow's idiom."

Today.

JL

On Mon, Jul 16, 2012 at 9:06 PM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Fun with phrases: "in a previous life"
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>
> I agree. I don't think anything of this expression.
>
> The important thing about "in a previous life/existence" is that it's the
> only easy way to express this concept. Victor Steinbok provided a good
> summation: "usually characterized by a different location, profession or
> employment, but occasionally also referring to just earlier stages, such
> college or school years, or periods marked by a cataclysmic event, such as
> a family member's death, divorce, etc."
>
> I guess you can say "in an earlier stage of my life," but the time for
> that is now passed.
>
> BTW, I found "previous incarnation" at
> http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/incarnation.
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA
>
> On Jul 16, 2012, at 5:23 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>
> > If "in a previous life" requires a "humorous" label,  shouldn't "in a
> > previous existence" require one too?
> >
> > My theory is that the humor of both has long ago worn thin and that
> people
> > use them neutrally now, rather like "I could care less."
>
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