|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Likewise "How do you do?"
"How do I do what?!?!" I want to scream.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Likewise "How do you do?"
"How do I do what?!?!" I want to scream.
So scream, and they'll hope you do very poorly.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
"How do you do?"
"Better than being home sick abed on two chairs."
"Been better, been worse."
"So's to be up and about."
___________________________________
And if you visit "Down Maine," you may be asked : "Do you think they'll have it?"
My favorite answer : "Looks like it ...saw them with the rope."
Care to jump in ?
The question is (ambiguosness encouraged)
"Do you think they'll have it?"
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189 |
Likewise "Can I ask you a question?" to which I always want to scream "You just did, idiot!" or "No! No! No! You cannot ask me a question, ever! Ha!"
By the way, this particular waste of linguistic breath seems to usually be a New York City thang.hi, of troy
Edit: Why did the font size change in the middle of this post?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
My husband works in a bookstore (well, until next Sunday), and his favourite is... Him: "Can I help you?" Customer: "I'm looking for...a book..." DUH! Why else would you be in a bookstore!?!?!?! This is now a running joke among the employees. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
I used to spend a lot of time in bookstores, seldom with any clearcut idea of what I wanted. So there was no way a salesperson, no matter how well motivated could help me, no way I tell him anything except: "I'm just browsing, thanks."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 218
enthusiast
|
|
enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 218 |
WhitmanO'Niell thinks "Can I ask you a question?" is a particular waste of linguistic breath.
I agree that on paper, this phrase does look absurd. In fact, in real life, it is strange to hear that and really think about it. That it is a waste of breath? Hmmm.
I'm a big fan of H. P. Grice and his maxims for successfuly negoiating discourse. English speakers typically avoid confrontation and over-directness by saying things like "It's cold in here" to prompt us to close the door. Following Grice's maxim of relevance, we link the two together and understand the implicit request.
"Can I ask you a question" gives the listener an opportunity to signal that he is not currently interested in talking. I consider it a polite introduction rather than a waste of breath. Now let me ask you a question...Oh, you are leaving. I guess you must be busy...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
" Can I ask you a question"
What ever became of "May I ask you a question" ? or with potentially hostile persons, "Please, may I ask you a question??
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
May I ask you a question
The only times I remember this word being used "properly" was when the prescriptive grammarians were exhorting us to use it properly (but *not when they were using it in normal discourse) and in the children's game Mother, May I.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
" Can I ask you a question?" Of course you can since your vocal apparatus is working. But that does not mean I need take the trouble to answer you. Perhaps a bit of courtesy might motivate me to answer.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,338
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
637
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
