[Ads-l] to truth-tell

[Jonathan Lighter]

I just realized why not.

Ignore previous message.

JL

On Wed, Dec 2, 2020 at 1:39 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Any Google hits for to "lie-tell"?
>
> If not, why not?
>
> JL
>
> On Wed, Dec 2, 2020 at 9:40 AM MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY CCDC
> AVMC (USA) <0000099bab68be9a-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> > Although if we stick to the transitive verb construction (as I suspect
>> JL would have us do),
>> > we have the nice minimal pair:
>> > "to tell *the* truth” vs. “to tell *a* lie”
>> > —lots of alternatives to the truth, but no alternative truths (or facts)
>>
>> Which is why the "tell my truth", "tell her truth" construction is so
>> rankling, I suppose.
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>


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

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org