LL-L: "Expressions" (was "Software") LOWLANDS-L, 27.OCT.1999 (05) [E]

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From: john feather [johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk]
Subject: Software

Ron

In view of your multilingual talents I have to ask where "a decade or three"
comes from. It resembles a Dutch construction and as far as I know isn't
German. Is it standard American English?

John Feather johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Software

John inquired about "a decade or three".

Sorry, John.  It belongs to no variety but my own (whatever you might like to
call it and call it that to my face), uttered in a lighthearted manner,
revising "a decade or two" after coming to realize that as many as *three*
decades may have past.  (Oh, horror!)

(I kind of play it down on the List -- what with decorum expected of the
helmsman -- but now and then a bit of my somewhat offbeat sense of humor will
show.  So far people seem to have been tolerating it.  At least no mutiny
seems to be imminent so far.)

However, I have heard people jokingly make up similar expressions.  Let's
assume someone offered you some delectable tidbits (American spelling!), and
among them are your all-time favorite, say, ginger snaps after which you lust,
you might say something like, "Thanks, I think I'll go ahead and have a ginger
snap ... or five."

Best regards,

Reinhard/Ron

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