[Linganth] Substitute x for y

[Martin Walsh]

I sympathise with Ronald's wife because I too get 'substitute' muddled,
thinking that I can just substitute it for (with?) 'exchange'.  But then I
also have trouble making myself understood when I go to our local Chinese
take-away and ask for fish and chips twice, I mean fish and chips two times,
two fish and chips, two fish and two chips, two of everything, oh yes and a
pot of curry sauce, no, only one of those...

Martin Walsh
Cambridge, England

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ronald Kephart" <rkephart at unf.edu>
To: "linganth-list" <linganth at cc.rochester.edu>
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 4:43 PM
Subject: [Linganth] Substitute x for y


> 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
>
>