[Ads-l] ADJ + of = a + ADJ

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

The extension seems to be via blending of the two

constructions Jon mentioned:

  "reliable as an ally" + "as reliable of an ally as..."

G. Cohen

________________________________
Message from: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2018 7:00 PM

Reporter on _All Things Considered_ (from memory 20 mins. later):

"Does the European Union believe Donald Trump is reliable of an ally?"

(It might mean "reliable *as* an ally," but I suspect it's been extended
from constructions like "as reliable of an ally as...")

A slip of the tongue? Sure didn't sound like it.

JL



JL

--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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