[Ads-l] proportionately = 'disproportionately'

[Joel S. Berson]

At 1/12/2015 01:10 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

>The problem is that it doesn't make much sense when you read it. I felt I
>knew what was meant and didn't at the same time.

I agree it doesn't make sense -- it reads one way but can only mean 
the other.  What I was suggesting that someone might remember 
locutions like "had in proportion [to some other *small* 
characteristic] a small head" -- which I think is logically OK -- and 
gone on to "had a proportionately [to some other *large* 
characteristic] small head" -- which I think is logically mind-blowing.

Joel


>JL
>
>On Mon, Jan 12, 2015 at 11:38 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: proportionately = 'disproportionately'
> >
> > 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > At 1/12/2015 11:02 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >
> > >  http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/t/turiasaurus.html
> > >
> > >"Despite being around thirty meters long however,=E2=80=AD
> > *=E2=80=ACTurias=
> > aurus* had a
> > >proportionately small head with a skull about seventy centimetres long."
> >
> > Error evolving from "had in proportion a small=20
> > head"? -- meaning it was too small for the rest=20
> > of it; it was not "the right size"  I'd accept that.
> >
> > Joel=20
> >
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> >
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>
>
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