[lit-ideas] Re: "Wanted: Dead Or Alive": A Tautology?
- From: Paul Stone <pas@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 13:09:40 -0400
>or "dead or alive", to be more precise ("always adjectivise," as Kramer
>would advise).
>
>Incidentally, I notice that Google.com gives only 184 hits for "wanted:
>alive or dead", but 187,000 hits for the reverse: "wanted: dead or alive".
>
>In logical terms, the order of disjuncts should not bother you, but it
>does...
Language is certainly RARELY logical. In these kinds of phrases, euphony
wins out. Maybe it's something to do with the longer word going second. It
seems that THAT is usually the case. Who wants to see a magical act called
"Teller and Penn"? Who buys "Whitney and Pratt" engines? Male or Female?
Nah, that's just a case of this patriarchy. etc. etc.
paul
##########
Paul Stone
pas@xxxxxxxx
Kingsville, ON, Canada
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