6.985, Sum: Had better

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-985. Tue Jul 18 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines:  69
 
Subject: 6.985, Sum: Had better
 
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---------------------------------Directory-----------------------------------
1)
Date:  Tue, 18 Jul 1995 16:40:36 +0200
From:  hiro-t at ias.tokushima-u.ac.jp (hiro-t)
Subject:  Sum: had better
 
---------------------------------Messages------------------------------------
1)
Date:  Tue, 18 Jul 1995 16:40:36 +0200
From:  hiro-t at ias.tokushima-u.ac.jp (hiro-t)
Subject:  Sum: had better
 
Dear Linguists,
   On behalf of my friend, I asked you to check the sentences about
_had better not_, _had better not_, etc. Here are his summary below.
*******************************************************************
   At the end of May, I raised a query about the acceptability of the
following sentences.
   (1) You hadn't better stay here tonight.
   (2) You had not better stay here tonight.
   (3) A: I promise I'll pay you back. B: You better had.
To my surprise, soon after my posting, I got as many as 64 reposes.
Thank you very much for answering my query. I hadn't expected so may
people were interested on this matter. I think I should mention all
the names and e-mail addresses, but there are far too many to mention.
If you feel this is inadequet, please email to Prof. Tanaka to write
your names on the list. I will immediately prepare for writing your
names.  The result of the inquiry is as follows:
           (1)          (2)         (3)
      OK   10            0          12
      ?    15            5          3
      *    39            59         49
About two thirds of the respondents refused these usages and I can also
add that these usages varies geometrically, especially British English,
it seemed to me.
   I also asked for a few sentences using _It (or This) had better...
Examples (4), (5) and (6) below are typical instances of _had better_
with inanimate subjects:
   (4) It had better not rain tomorrow or we can't got to the beach.
   (5) I spent all day working on the TV. It had better work now.
   (6) Joe: I can explain why I am late. Jane: This had better be good
Some people say that _This had better be good_ is a cliche and in (6) it
implies the speaker kas expectations that the excuse will be fanciful
or just plain untrue.
   I would like to thank again to all the people who reponded. If you
had any comments on this matter, please email through Prof. Tanaka to me.
******************************************************************************
Best Wishes,
Hiroaki Tanaka, Associate Professor, Tokushima University, Japan
hiro-t at ias.tokushima-u.ac.jp
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LINGUIST List: Vol-6-985.