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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
I've never heard the word used in exactly that sense.
I've never looked up the definition, but I have used it an heard it used to mean that one falls back to a prior state.
"If I can't figure out an analytic (closed-form) solution, I'll revert to numerical methods."
"He tried to touch-type, but he continually reverted to using two fingers."
"Certain characteristics of some members of the mouse population reverted to atavistic forms."
I'm not sure these are correct, but that's the way I've seen it used.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
addict
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addict
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508 |
They all sound right to me, FF. Can't say I've heard it used much legally, but in everyday speech, your examples fit my experience.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Back is redundant.
You people act like redundancy were some sort of absolute evil. You don't complain about the phrase "three books" being redundant, or subject-verb agreement being redundant. No, that you like. Why is it all over sudden bad when someone says, "return back"?
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
all over sudden
I would have said "all of a sudden". Is this a neologism, a regionalism or just a faldagism?
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Actual, I got it from Pogo. I have heard "all of the sudden" in the wild.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
I could never really make sense of all of a/the/over sudden, so I usually revert *back to suddenly, or make something up.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Must...restrain...fist...of death...
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 133
member
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member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 133 |
Jackie, don't start hitting Oliver Sudden!
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16
stranger
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stranger
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16 |
how come you didn't say to revert back stolen property to the original owner, or to revert stolen property back to the original owner ?
My guess, Jackie, is that he has found the muzzle-loading tautologer awkward and obtrusive. How come do you ask?
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273 |
> Must...restrain...fist...of death...
Just go lay down for a while, until you've reorientated yourself. You'll feel much better.
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