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#176751 - 05/08/08 11:20 PM this question begs asking
tsuwm Offline
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Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 8573
Loc: this too shall pass
so, to beg the question is, likely, to corrupt an old phrase.

but tonight I heard a sports guy say, "the question.. begs asking" (2100 ghits). is this an improvement, linguistically speaking?

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#176757 - 05/09/08 06:34 AM Re: this question begs asking [Re: tsuwm]
Faldage Offline
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Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 11418
I suppose it might be an improvement, linguistically speaking, if the peevologists don't pule and micturate about it. I wouldn't be competent to predict that. It seems to me that def. 2 in the AHD definition of beg fits this usage pretty well, however def. 3a seems to fit the peevebane usage. But then I think water is wet, so who am I to judge?
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#176762 - 05/09/08 08:11 AM Re: this question begs asking [Re: Faldage]
etaoin Offline
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Registered: 06/24/02
Posts: 6045
Loc: Vermont
yeah, it seems to get closer to the way that people use the phrase thesedays.
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#176771 - 05/09/08 11:04 AM Re: this question begs asking [Re: etaoin]
dalehileman Offline
veteran


Registered: 07/10/05
Posts: 1364
Loc: Apple Valley, CA, USA
tsu, back when I was a prescriptivist I was especially appalled at the "new" mening of "begging a question"

Your question about "begs asking" begs asking, what's the term for a corruption of a corruption
_________________________
dalehileman

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#176798 - 05/09/08 10:41 PM Re: this question begs asking [Re: dalehileman]
The Pook Offline
addict


Registered: 02/20/08
Posts: 468
Loc: Tasmania
 Originally Posted By: dalehileman
what's the term for a corruption of a corruption

Well, if it corrupts the corruption by bringing it back to the original uncorrupt state, then it would be called 'correction' or 'purification'. But if it corrupts it further or in another direction, then... it would be called politics.

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#176808 - 05/10/08 01:11 AM Re: this question begs asking [Re: tsuwm]
morphememedley Offline
newbie


Registered: 01/16/08
Posts: 36
I kind of like it, although I'm unemcumbered by contextual details. I guess getting liked helps a word usage or a phrase usage make it.

The site spell checker redlined unemcumbered and threw me into doubt.

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#176810 - 05/10/08 07:50 AM Re: this question begs asking [Re: morphememedley]
The Pook Offline
addict


Registered: 02/20/08
Posts: 468
Loc: Tasmania
 Originally Posted By: morphememedley
I kind of like it, although I'm unemcumbered by contextual details. I guess getting liked helps a word usage or a phrase usage make it.

The site spell checker redlined unemcumbered and threw me into doubt.

So it should have. You've done a typo - it's uneNcumbered isn't it?

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#176812 - 05/10/08 12:13 PM Re: this question begs asking [Re: The Pook]
morphememedley Offline
newbie


Registered: 01/16/08
Posts: 36
You're mighty right. It's funny how I unwittingly substitute certain characters. I wish I had an application to show me neural tracks.
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#176820 - 05/10/08 05:58 PM Re: this question begs asking [Re: morphememedley]
Faldage Offline
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Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 11418
It is, indeed, unencumbered.
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#176822 - 05/10/08 09:03 PM Re: this question begs asking [Re: Faldage]
morphememedley Offline
newbie


Registered: 01/16/08
Posts: 36
When “unencumbered by the thought process”, or barely encumbered by it, my spelling and factual recall are often better. Is there a name for the phenomenon of the first guess's greater probability of being correct?
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