[Ads-l] WE KEEP US SAFE

[Mark Mandel]

Thanks, Chris. That connection seems undeniable. But what is the motivation
for the quasi-ungrammatical construction there in the title, in the first
place?

Mark

On Sun, Sep 25, 2022, 4:27 PM Chris Waigl <chris at lascribe.net> wrote:

> 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
>

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