#95590
02/14/2003 1:25 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
I worked with you in the spring of 1942
I worked with you the spring of 1942
Any preference?
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#95591
02/14/2003 1:43 PM
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
either work for me, though I might add another: I worked with you during the spring of 1942 
formerly known as etaoin...
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#95592
02/14/2003 2:02 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
The spring just all by its lonesome seems incomplete to me, both linguistically and poetically. I'll go with eta on the during as an alternative, though.
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#95593
02/14/2003 2:12 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
I have been scolded for usingellipsis excessively. But no native speaker of English
would have trouble understanding the shorter version of your sentence. Probably
less desirable in print than in conversation. (my ellipsis agai;n)
ellipsis
n.,
pl. 3ses# 73scz#8 5L < Gr elleipsis: see prec.6
1 Gram. the omission of a word or words necessary for complete grammatical construction but understood in the context (Ex.: “if possible” for “if it is possible”)
2 ELLIPSIS POINTS
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#95594
02/14/2003 2:15 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
How on earth did I miss the linguistic application of ellipsis? Thanks for posting it here, wwh.
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#95595
02/14/2003 6:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
I think it would depend on context (assuming that tone is part of the context). I can imagine there would be cases where either would be okay and others where one might be preferable to the other - well, in theory I can imagine such cases. In fact, I'm drawing a blank at the moment.
k
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#95596
02/14/2003 7:40 PM
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
here's an odd bit of googleia: "we met the summer of.." gets 15 hits; "we met the spring of.." gets nada, nil, zilch.
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#95597
02/14/2003 8:42 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
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#95598
02/14/2003 11:23 PM
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
I just thought it passing strange that folks say "we met the summer of 2001" (e.g.) a little bit, but never seem to say "we met the spring of..", at all; that's all.
(just to complete the cycle, winter and fall each score one hit; "we met in the spring of.." scores 95, "we met in the summer of..", 144.) I have to go trim my toenails now.
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#95599
02/14/2003 11:30 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 171
member
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member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 171 |
I worked with you in the spring of 1942
I worked with you the spring of 1942
My reading of the two forms is that in the latter case, there is a nuance that you clearly mean for the "entire" spring," and in the former case, you may mean for the "entire" spring, but you may also mean for only "part" of the spring.
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#95600
02/17/2003 4:53 PM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
I go along with JH here, there is a slight difference in sense. naturally I would say:I worked with you in the spring of 1942, and I think this would be the normal UK form.
Regarding the number of hits tsuwm scored, wasn't there a rather plaintive tune called "Summer of '42" that came out about 1970, and did rather well in the charts?
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#95601
02/17/2003 5:23 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
tune called "Summer of '42" that came out about 1970, Yep--went with the movie of the same title.
Good memory!
tsuwm, I noticed that your power of ten rule didn't hold, this time.
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#95602
02/17/2003 5:28 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
your power of ten rule didn't hold
That's like complaining that a home run didn't count because the team didn't make a fourth down conversion.
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#95603
02/17/2003 5:44 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Quite so, JH. That's an example of how subtle English can be.
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