[Linganth] Substitute x for y

[Richard J Senghas]

I think it's a word-order thing, and they're working in the "please
replace x with y" paradigm.  They see/hear the pattern of a request
for a replacement, but don't pay attention to the particular verb,
etc.

-R

At 11:43 AM -0500 1/31/05, 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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Richard J. Senghas, Assoc. Professor     | Sonoma State University
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