double bind

[Joel S. Berson]

My question is, is what's is the is-sue here?

(No, don't reply -- I understand the issue.)

Joel

At 5/22/2012 12:21 PM, Arnold Zwicky wrote:
>On May 21, 2012, at 8:30 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>
> > From a comment on G+:
> >
> >> Does anyone see what's the tactic is?
> >
> > This has become typical in comments and I've heard it is speech even
> > longer. Does anyone care or is this such old news that I should just
> > ignore it?
>
>here's an occasion where i really want to know
>what "this" is, and would like to see more
>examples of this phenomenon you claim to be very
>common.  relevant examples of "what's the * is"
>are extremely hard to search for.  but in trying
>to dredge up more examples, i did come across some wonderful stuff of the form
>   what's the EXPLETIVE is
>some examples (of a great many):
>
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2jnpjm2Lh0
>   What's the heck is Eugenics?
>
>http://davemosher.com/blog/2010/whats-the-frak-is-at-nycs-union-square-subway-stop/
>   What’s the frak is at NYC’s Union Square subway stop?
>   Every day — make that twice a day — a vexing
> questions pops into my head as I stroll through
> Union Square’s subway stop en route to work:
> What the heck is this thing/device/contraption?
>
>http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whats-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-your-face-Nan-please-he-has-down-sindrome/170327143035026
>   What's the fuck is wrong with your face?
>
>and then examples with forms of DO rather than BE:
>
>http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=36239564
>   What's the hell did that have to do with Absolut?
>
>http://www.powerbot.org/community/topic/519502-whats-the-fuck-does-this-mean/
>   What's the fuck does this mean!!?!!??!
>
>
> > These two are not problematic:
> >
> > a. I don't see what's the issue with bringing him in on the job.
> > b. I don't see what the issue is with bringing him in on the job.
> >
> > Perhaps a. is a bit colloquial. But we could get a blend.
> >
> > c. I don't know what's the issue is with bringing him in on the job.
>
>this blend analysis is initially plausible for
>"what's the tactic is" ("what's the tactic" +
>"what the tactic is"), but it's out of the
>question for the expletive examples.  instead,
>all these examples look like cases of
>"excrescent "'s""; see extensive discussion on
>this list in 2007 with this header, looking at
>WHAT'S IF, HOW'S TO, WHAT'S ELSE (and HOW COME'S
>and WHAT ABOUT'S).  the effect of the excrescent
>"'s" seems to be reinforcement or emphasis of the clause-initial WH expression.
>
>back in 2007 i was surprised at how common
>excrescent "'s" was, and now i'm surprised again
>at it in the expletive examples (which i don't recall having seen before).
>
>arnold
>
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