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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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I am reading the above title (Philip Gucker, Dover Press, 1966). In the section on adverbs, he writes, "'Good' and 'well' should be carefuly differentiated. 'Good' is always an adjective. 'Well' is usually an adverb; but it is used as an adjective for certain meanings--attractive, satisfactory, in good health..."
He goes on to give several examples. In one among them, "Mrs. Klein looks *well* in that dress," he suggests "well" functions as an adjective. I would have thought its function was adverbial. Am I daft, or is he mistaken?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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He's right. 'Looks' functions as a linking verb (similarly as the verb 'to be') in the example above and 'well' functions as a predicate adjective. He could have also used 'good' as the predicate adjective.
However, he could have also meant 'well' to be an adverb with 'looks' functioning no longer as a linking verb, but as an intransitive verb in a different context:
1st speaker: "Only those who look well to find lost objects will find them."
2nd speaker: "Mrs. Klein has lost something in the parlor."
3rd speaker: "Oh, she'll find it!"
4th speaker, "Certainly. Mrs. Klein looks well."
In that context, 'well' functions as an adverb; in the context you cited, 'well' functions as an adjective.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Am I daft, or is he mistaken? Are you implying that these might be mutually exclusive?   I think maybe it's all the fault of the song. "Hey, good-lookin'..."
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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"Implying"
No, of course not. The "or" is inclusive.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Ugh! I cannot imagine my using that construction in the context presented. Ugh!
"Darling, that dress looks good on you." Versus, "Darling that dress looks well on you."
Compare:
"Oh, that sandich smells good." or "Oh, that sandwich smells well."
Further:
"Oh, that sandwich looks good." or "Oh, that sandwich looks well."
I don't look well but I feel pretty good.
I think what's going on is that there are some assumed words here, which is what makes an adjective seem as though it's an adverb:
Mrs. Klein looks as though she is good in that dress.
TEd
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Bing Crosby has a line in either "Holiday Inn" or "White Christmas" in which he tells someone that she looks well--and he isn't referring to her health. It sounds odd to my ear, too, Ted, but it's okay, odd or not.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I believe it's just a case of usage that's fallen out of favor. Now the one I *really hate is "I feel badly." 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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One who "feels badly" prolly ought to take feeling lessons in order to do it better.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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prolly ought to take feeling lessons in order to do it better.
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