There was a phrase in today's obituary (by D. Lewis) of Gene Wilder, that
reminded me of a lyric discussed by Griceist linguist L. Horn ("Married, but
not to each other", by Miller & Craig). The obituarist writes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/30/movies/gene-wilder-dead.html?_r=0
"Wilder’s first two marriages, to Mary Mercier and Mary Joan Schutz, ended in
divorce. In 1982, he met the “Saturday Night Live” comedian Gilda Radner when
they were both cast in the suspense comedy “Hanky Panky.” One evening, he
recalled in “Kiss Me Like a Stranger,” he and Ms. Radner innocently ended up at
his hotel to review some script changes. The time came for her to go; instead,
she shoved him down on the bed, jumped on top of him and announced, “I have a
plan for fun!” He sent her home anyway — she was married to another man [...]."
It strikes me that D. Lewis's
i. Gilda Radner was married to another man.
features the otiose:
ii. To another man.
Under the circumstances, Grice would say that "to another man" can easily be
IMPLICATED conversationally -- in a non-conventional way --.
But of course, McEvoy will disagree. He takes a Popperian approach to
'marriage' ("We need a conceptual analysis of what 'being married' MEANS.").
So let's revise the scenario. Wilder and Radner 'end up' in Wilder's hotel
room. She shoves him down onto the bed and jumped on top of him. He sent her
home. She was married.
Logically speaking:
iii. He sent her home. She was married.
seems JUST to do. The addition of "to another man" makes the utterance a
blatant flouting (without the intent to implicate conversationally) to Grice's
desideratum, "Do not be more informative than is required"). Note also that the
fact that
i. Gilda Radner was married.
is indeed the moral reason why Wilder sent Radner 'home' (to her home, if you
must). McEvoy and Popper might say that "to her home" is otiose, but most
things in life are -- and irrefutable, too.
Below, the lyric as discussed by Horn. The song "Married (but not to each
other)" (by Miller and Craig) SHOULD NOT be confused with "Married" or its
German equivalent, that Liza Minnelli and Michael York play in the old Victrola
as they plan to marry. Or not (i.e. IT MAY be so confused if you're into
literary confusions).
Cheers,
Speranza
VERSE
Ya know sometimes in your life
You may find it hurts to be in love
Specially when you and the one ya love
Already belong to somebody else
You're tied to her and I'm tied to him
And we don't wanna hurt either one of them
That's how it is
CHORUS:
When you're married but not to each other
Ya gotta go home in the middle of the night
Try and pretend every things alright
But it ain't, no it ain't
When you're married but not to each other
Make believe that you've been good
Give your love to the one you should
But you can't, no you can't
'Cause you're tied to her and I'm tied to him
We don't wanna hurt either one of them
So what can you do, what can you do?
When you're married but not to each other
Ya gotta be careful everywhere you go
Tryin' to avoid everyone you know
'Cause people talk, you know they talk
When you're married but not to each other
You've gotta make up alibis
Hopin' they don't sound like lies
'Cause if you get caught, and ya might get caught
Hurry up and love him
Hurry up and please him
And when it gets right
You've got to leave him
You better leave him
'Cause you're tied to her, I'm tied to him
We don't wanna hurt either one of them
That's how it is, that's how it is
When you're married
But not to each other
Hurry up and love him
Hurry up and please him
And when it gets right
You've got to leave him
You better leave him
