tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post3570385731378024960..comments2024-03-14T10:31:26.918+00:00Comments on DCblog: On looking very UKDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-50068322353111984322017-03-10T15:56:05.191+00:002017-03-10T15:56:05.191+00:00Sure. The recent trend seems to have started aroun...Sure. The recent trend seems to have started around the 1960s, but corpus studies show the growth of the progressive goes way bac, into the 19th century.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-82926386413265293262017-03-10T10:07:33.105+00:002017-03-10T10:07:33.105+00:00Regarding "I'm loving it", I certain...Regarding "I'm loving it", I certainly think it has existed longer than McDonald's or Justine Timberlake, when it means "I'm really enjoying it"<br /><br />Here's a (very funny) clip from a Seinfeld episode from 1994 when Krammer goes commando<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRVUe2Ha6dgRichard Grantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-49258237015645092592013-08-28T12:19:15.215+00:002013-08-28T12:19:15.215+00:00Emilio
The use of UK as a gradable adjective (one...Emilio<br /><br />The use of <i>UK</i> as a <b>gradable</b> adjective (one that can form comparatives or accept <i>very</i>) in predicative position is still a violation of two norms. It works because there are widely-shared preconceptions as to what an individual from the UK might be like.<br /><br />So, you can use absolutely <b>any</b> place name in this way, <b>provided that</b> you and your audience share some such preconceptions about the place that it names.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-34942151963773589772013-08-27T21:26:08.703+00:002013-08-27T21:26:08.703+00:00So what other place names could substitute for “UK...So what other place names could substitute for “UK” here?<br />(This reminds me of the following example from Michael Swan’s Practical English Usage: “He doesn’t sound Birmigham; I think he’s Liverpool”).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762196203762970377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-60690213314684332502013-08-27T12:48:08.889+00:002013-08-27T12:48:08.889+00:00This usage is rife in Indlish. It’s highly likely ...This usage is rife in Indlish. It’s highly likely that the Facebook response is from an Indian.Harsha Basunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-25870260359040750642013-08-26T22:47:30.886+00:002013-08-26T22:47:30.886+00:00Nothing unusual about UK in attributive position. ...Nothing unusual about UK in attributive position. It's the predicative position that people remark about.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-29394654241745826702013-08-26T20:32:06.668+00:002013-08-26T20:32:06.668+00:00On UK used as an adjective:
I have heard and even ...On UK used as an adjective:<br />I have heard and even read this many a time, so I am providing a few examples:<br />-UK Film Council<br />-UK weather forecast<br />-UK births<br />-UK National Statistics<br />-UK population<br /><br />This article is a good illustration:<br />http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23618487<br />ivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13299612936494933751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-21806680661601742272013-08-26T18:30:16.674+00:002013-08-26T18:30:16.674+00:00David and John: Lovely examples.David and John: Lovely examples.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-25505788485815973012013-08-26T18:27:14.615+00:002013-08-26T18:27:14.615+00:00Perhaps we may expect that language will develop t...Perhaps we may expect that language will develop to the point where, "You are looking X" would refer to how you look _right now_, and "You look X" would refer to how you look habitually.<br /><br />This would parallel the distinction with verbs of action: "you are going to work [right now]" vs. "you go to work [every day]".vphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647609487352038948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-48395235849823428282013-08-26T18:21:22.916+00:002013-08-26T18:21:22.916+00:00Are you the O'Reilly that keeps this hotel?
Ar...Are you the O'Reilly that keeps this hotel?<br />Are you the O"Reilly they speak of so well?<br />If you're the O'Reilly they speak of so highly<br />Cor blimey, O Reilly, you are looking well!<br /><br />This is said to date from the 1880's. A 1915 recording with slightly different wording can be heard <a href="http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/3974" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br /><br />If I were still teaching, and heard a suitably advanced student say <i>You look fine today</i>, I would consider teaching that <i>You're looking</i> might be better with <i>today</i>.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-78180212666868131602013-08-26T18:14:35.073+00:002013-08-26T18:14:35.073+00:00NGrams shows looking very well as early as 1856 (a...NGrams shows <i>looking very well</i> as early as 1856 (applied to healing wounds). The first AmE hit I find is <i>By Right Divine</i> (1907) by William Sage (at least I think he is an American author; it's possible that his spelling etc. was changed by his American publisher). Cobbett does not count: his language habits were set by the time he immigrated.<br /><br />Semantically, however, I don't see any difference between <i>look</i> and <i>are looking</i> (excluding of course the active sense of <i>look</i>, as in <i>Are you looking for this?</i>). There's a difference in register, certainly.John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-59412093706500376312013-08-26T15:24:31.357+00:002013-08-26T15:24:31.357+00:00No, the point at issue was the progressive - but i...No, the point at issue was the progressive - but interesting to see that this usage might not even be noticed in a context where another point of usage grabs the attention. DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-260190552234197742013-08-26T15:03:59.554+00:002013-08-26T15:03:59.554+00:00Very interesting observations on the increasing pr...Very interesting observations on the increasing preference for the Present Continuous. I hadn't noticed this trend if I'm honest, but you're certainly right. Indeed, more than once I've asked myself, "Why do I still teach this nonsense about stative verbs?" <br /><br />I do, wonder, however, whether your correspondent wasn't asking about the use of 'UK' as an *adjective*? -> "She's looking very France"(?), "He's looking very Mexico" (?), etc.<br /><br />Best wishesMike Churchhttp://theothermikechurch.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-90985430251561361602013-08-26T13:01:43.509+00:002013-08-26T13:01:43.509+00:00I thought it was incorrect because 'UK' is...I thought it was incorrect because 'UK' is not an adjective...Moonfriendnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-32883378863542148542013-08-26T12:31:09.069+00:002013-08-26T12:31:09.069+00:00There's also the use of the country name UK as...There's also the use of the country name UK as a predicative adjective. Indeed, I thought at first that that was the object of criticism.<br /><br />This use too is on the rise, but less noticeably. I for one do notice it when I hear it — as in the ubiquitous TV commercial <i>You're <b>so</b> Moneysupermarket dot com.</i><br /><br />I still react to <i>I'm lovin' it</i>, but never to <i>You're looking ADJECTIVE</i>. For me, that's the standard Aspect for a TEMPORARY STATE.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-8709198362155669272013-08-26T10:34:49.848+00:002013-08-26T10:34:49.848+00:00Is the questionable usage that of "UK" a...Is the questionable usage that of "UK" as an adverb?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com