[Ads-l] WE KEEP US SAFE

[Chris Waigl]

It's the title of a book - I believe the flyer is likely a direct reference
to the book: http://www.beacon.org/We-Keep-Us-Safe-P1556.aspx

On Sun, Sep 25, 2022 at 6:59 AM Mark Mandel <markamandel at gmail.com> wrote:

> "WE KEEP US SAFE" is the headline of a sign posted on many light poles and
> other locations in my neighborhood in Philadelphia. It seems to be a flawed
> reflexive, where the object, though semantically identical to the subject,
> is in the simple accusative rather than the reflexive.
>
> But I think the writer was seeing a semantic difference: addressing *each
> reader* with a call to action to protect *the entire community*: "We
> [individually] keep us [collectively] safe." I've redacted the name and
> address.
>
> ---------
> NOTICE OF CEASE & DESIST AGAINST
> **************
> LANDLORD AT ***************
>
> 1. HE HAS NO RENTAL LICENSE
> 2. HE HAS BEEN OPENLY HARASSING, ABUSING, AND TAMPERING WITH THE UTILITIES
> OF HIS TENANTS
> 3. HE IS KNOWN TO ASSAULT NEIGHBORS AND BYSTANDERS ON THE STREET
>
> BE AWARE!
> WE KEEP US SAFE!
> ---------
>
> Opinions?
>
> — Mark Mandel
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


-- 
Chris Waigl . chris.waigl at gmail.com . chris at lascribe.net
http://eggcorns.lascribe.net . http://chryss.eu

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