[Linganth] Substitute x for y

[Nicholas Ostler]

All

What about
"substitute x with y"
which seems to invert the roles of x and y (meaning "replace x with y")
as against
"substitute x for y" (meaning "make x stand for y").

There are similar ambiguities with the verbs 'trade', 'change',
'exchange', 'swap', 'switch' but (for me at least) in these latter cases
it is much vaguer which way round the substitution is effected,
whichever prepositions are used.

My only explanation is that people who have studied maths, logic,
philosophy etc. have schooled themselves to be more punctilious in
interpreting the complement of noun-phrases that accompanies '
substitute'. But ordinary people rest content with the the general
mish-mash.

Nicholas Ostler



Ronald Kephart wrote:

> All:
>
> More than twice now, I have gone to our local fried chicken outlet and
> ordered the 8 or 12 piece dinner, which usually includes some breast,
> thighs, legs, and wings. While doing so, I have said:
>
> "Please substitute legs and thighs for the wings."
>
> And nearly every time, the response I get is:
>
> "So, you want all wings?"
>
> I cannot understand how they can interpret my request in this way. For
> me, "substitute x for y" should mean that I don't want y, I want x
> instead. But my wife who seems normal otherwise, agrees with the
> chicken people. What's going on here?
>
> Ron
>
>
>

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