[Ads-l] Phrase: [Word] is doing a lot of work

ADSGarson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Sat May 1 23:59:10 UTC 2021


Charles C Rice wrote:
> “Now you talk like a reasonable child,” said Humpty Dumpty, looking
> very much pleased. “I meant by ‘impenetrability’ that we’ve had enough
> of that subject, and it would be just as well if you’d mention what you
> mean to do next, as I suppose you don’t mean to stop here all the rest
> of your life.”
>
> “That’s a great deal to make one word mean,” Alice said in a thoughtful
> tone.
>
> “When I make a word do a lot of work like that,” said Humpty Dumpty, “I
> always pay it extra.”

Thanks for sharing this magnificent precursor, Charles.
Garson

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



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