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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 163
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OP
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 163 |
The other day on CBC I heard a woman being referred to as devastatingly beautiful. It made me think of other cases where adjectives with negative meanings in common usage are used as emphatic compliments.
It was awfully good. He was terribly talented.
Three questions:
1. Can anyone think of other examples (I had another one but lost it on the commute to work.)
2. I have only heard this usage from British or British-educated people, never from Americans. Is this just a Commonwealth thing?
3. Any theories as to why these words, which over the centuries have lost their original positive connotations, have yet retained them in this construction?
I remembered the other one: Wickedly. He's wickedly funny.
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Posts: 866
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 866 |
In order
(1) You are positively wrong!
(2) Sounds awfully British to me.
(3) Inept wordsmiths trying to sound like ept wordsmiths
My own Q:
(a) Are these not adverbs, rather than adjectives?
(b) Why not drop all words with 'ly' suffixes on the basis that they are superfluous? (Yes that old hobby horse of mine again - sorry!!)
stales
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Joined: Sep 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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"Awesome" irritates me "terribly, awfully...."
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 163
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OP
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 163 |
(a) Are these not adverbs, rather than adjectives?
Yes, they are adverbs. I'm awfully sorry and terribly embarrassed. I solemnly resolve not to post until after my first cup of tea in the morning.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Terrible from terror
Awful from awe
?
Terrible trying to figure out awefull English, ain't it?
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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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the high priestess intones Awful from aweshe sits upon "the awless throne". -WS 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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this url is about 4 minutes in lenght.. it is .. http://www.gambino.com/tribute/tribute.swf -- almost beyond words.. and i don't even have a sound board (at work) so i didn't get the music.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 866
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
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'member reading in a James Bond story years ago the phrase "exquisite agony" (whilst our hero was being totured). Always wondered about that one.
stales
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 866
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 866 |
'member reading in a James Bond story years ago the phrase "exquisite agony" (whilst our hero was being tortured). Always wondered about that one.
stales
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