[Ads-l] to truth-tell

[Laurence Horn]

Oops.  Sorry.  You were right.


> On Dec 2, 2020, at 1:40 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> 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

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