atw: Re: pet hates

Peter,



> -----Original Message-----
> From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:austechwriter-
> bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Peter G Martin
> Sent: Wednesday, 25 May 2005 4:18 PM
> To: Terry D; ATW
> Subject: atw: Re: pet hates
> 
<snip>
> 
> But why shouldn't we prefer "get" to "obtain" or "acquire"
> (in spite of what many teachers -- wrongly -- told us) or
> "have" to "possess"  ?
> 


There are definite differences in these terms with 'get' being the more general 
bur being general requires more of the context to 'get' the meaning such that 
"obtain" and "acquire" are subtly more particular - (note that to "get" the 
meaning is subtly different qualitatively to "obtaining" the meaning vs 
"acquiring" the meaning)

To 'go and get X' is different to 'go and obtain X' or 'go and acquire X'. That 
said, the below definition for 'acquire' includes it having its roots in 'to 
get'.

IMHO dumbing-down, aka using simple universals, comes with a price if not done 
carefully, using discernment.

Consider the definitions:


v. got, (gt) got?ten, (gtn) or got get?ting, gets 
v. tr.

To come into possession or use of; receive: got a cat for her birthday. 
To meet with or incur: got nothing but trouble for her efforts. 

To go after and obtain: got a book at the library; got breakfast in town. 
To go after and bring: Get me a pillow. 
To purchase; buy: get groceries. 

To acquire as a result of action or effort: He got his information from the 
Internet. You can't get water out of a stone. 
To earn: got high marks in math. 
To accomplish or attain as a result of military action. 
To obtain by concession or request: couldn't get the time off; got permission 
to go. 

To arrive at; reach: When did you get home? 
To reach and board; catch: She got her plane two minutes before takeoff. 
To succeed in communicating with, as by telephone: can't get me at the office 
until nine. 
To become affected with (an illness, for example) by infection or exposure; 
catch: get the flu; got the mumps. 

To be subjected to; undergo: got a severe concussion. 
To receive as retribution or punishment: got six years in prison for tax fraud. 
To sustain a stated injury to: got my arm broken. 

To gain or have understanding of: Do you get this question? 
To learn (a poem, for example) by heart; memorize. 
To find or reach by calculating: get a total; can't get the answer. 
To perceive by hearing: I didn't get your name when we were introduced. 
To procreate; beget. 

To cause to become or be in a specified state or condition: got the children 
tired and cross; got the shirt clean. 
To make ready; prepare: get lunch for a crowd. 
To cause to come or go: got the car through traffic. 
To cause to move or leave: Get me out of here! 
To cause to undertake or perform; prevail on: got the guide to give us the 
complete tour. 

To take, especially by force; seize: The detective got the suspect as he left 
the restaurant. 
Informal. To overcome or destroy: The ice storm got the rose bushes. 
To evoke an emotional response or reaction in: Romantic music really gets me. 
To annoy or irritate: What got me was his utter lack of initiative. 
To present a difficult problem to; puzzle. 
To take revenge on, especially to kill in revenge for a wrong. 
Informal. To hit or strike: She got him on the chin. The bullet got him in the 
arm. 
Baseball. To put out. 
To begin or start. Used with the present participle: I have to get working on 
this or I'll miss my deadline. 

To have current possession of. Used in the present perfect form with the 
meaning of the present: We've got plenty of cash. 
Nonstandard. To have current possession of. Used in the past tense form with 
the meaning of the present: They got a nice house in town. 
To have as an obligation. Used in the present perfect form with the meaning of 
the present: I have got to leave early. You've got to do the dishes. 
Nonstandard. To have as an obligation. Used in the past tense with the meaning 
of the present: I got to git me a huntin' dog. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Middle English geten, from Old Norse geta. See ghend- in Indo-European Roots.]

VS


ob?tain    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (b-tn, b-)
v. ob?tained, ob?tain?ing, ob?tains 
v. tr.
To succeed in gaining possession of as the result of planning or endeavor; 
acquire.

v. intr.
To be established, accepted, or customary: ?standards, proprieties that no 
longer obtain? (Meg Greenfield). 
Archaic. To succeed. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Middle English obteinen, from Old French obtenir, from Latin obtinre : ob-, 
intensive pref.; see ob- + tenre, to hold; see ten- in Indo-European Roots.]

VS

ac?quire    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (-kwr)
tr.v. ac?quired, ac?quir?ing, ac?quires 
To gain possession of: acquire 100 shares of stock. 
To get by one's own efforts: acquire proficiency in math. 
To gain through experience; come by: acquired a growing dislike of television 
sitcoms. 
To locate (a moving object) with a tracking system, such as radar. 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Middle English acquere, from Old French aquerre, from Latin acqurere, to add 
to  : ad-, ad- + quaerere, to seek, get.]

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