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Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009"Every little helps"
This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. Every little *what*? Or did "little" turn into a noun just for use in this phrase?  Signature"Fiction writing is great. You can make up almost anything." - Ivana Trump On 30 Jun 2009, MC wrote > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems > incomplete. Every little *what*? "Bit", or "thing". Elision. SignatureCheers, Harvey CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed >On 30 Jun 2009, MC wrote > >> This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems >> incomplete. Every little *what*? > >"Bit", or "thing". Elision. It's common to treat "little" as though it were a noun. I am not sure what if anything is being elided in "This does little toward helping us understand the problem", but it's common enough form of words. Katy On 01 Jul 2009, wrote >> On 30 Jun 2009, MC wrote >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > toward helping us understand the problem", but it's common > enough form of words. True; but I think in the case of "every little helps" there's an elision rather than that sort of noun usage. - Cheers, Harvey CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed HVS filted: >On 01 Jul 2009, wrote > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >True; but I think in the case of "every little helps" there's an >elision rather than that sort of noun usage. Sam did a little, and that helped. George will do a little, and that will help more. We should all do what little we can, because every little helps. ....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? On 01 Jul 2009, R H Draney wrote > HVS filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >> >> True; but I think in the case of "every little helps" there's an >> elision rather than that sort of noun usage. > > Sam did a little, and that helped. I'd take that as an elision of "a little [bit]": it would be fair to ask "Did a little what, that helped?" > George will do a little, and that will help more. That, too. > We should all do what little we can, because every little helps. Second use of the term still seems to have elided a noun, to me: it would still be reasonable to ask "every little *what* helps?" SignatureCheers, Harvey CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed R H Draney wrote... > HVS filted: >>>> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > We should all do what little we can, because every little helps. ...and a little of what you fancy does you good. SignatureNoel Ildhund filted: >R H Draney wrote... >> HVS filted: [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >...and a little of what you fancy does you good. Popular tongue-twister: "Jiggle it a little; it'll open." (Jiggle it a little *what*, you may well ask)....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > Sam did a little, and that helped. No one would open a conversation with this sentence. It could only occur in the middle of the conversation, and context would make clear what he did a little of. A little painting, a little gardening, a little sweeping, or even a little bit of everything. In other words, I think there's an elision taking place. > George will do a little, and that will help more. Ditto, though I do wonder more than what? > We should all do what little we can, because every little helps. I would never say "every little helps". And you can't insert painting, gardening, or sweeping after little in that sentence. It has to be "every little bit helps." SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email >> Sam did a little, and that helped. > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > I would never say "every little helps". There seems to be a clear distinction between US and UK usage then. I would never insert "bit" after "little". And in "Sam did a little" and "Sam did a lot", "little" and "lot" seem to me to have exactly the same status as nouns. > >> Sam did a little, and that helped. > > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > There seems to be a clear distinction between US and UK usage then. I would > never insert "bit" after "little". And I have never heard it without "bit". > And in "Sam did a little" and "Sam did a lot", "little" and "lot" seem to me > to have exactly the same status as nouns. Interesting comment. You can say, "Sam did a little painting/gardening/sweeping," but must say "Sam did a lot *of* painting/gardening/sweeping." and "Sam did a little/lot of everything." Some grammarian will have to explain that; it's beyond me. SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email >> >> Sam did a little, and that helped. >> > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > >Some grammarian will have to explain that; it's beyond me. "HR Puffinstuff" <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-yLYz6ejqw> Beginning of the 4th line of the song. SignatureIan > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. > Every little *what*? > > Or did "little" turn into a noun just for use in this phrase? I have heard the phrase only as "every little /bit/ helps". SignatureSkitt (AmE) > > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. > > Every little *what*? > > > > Or did "little" turn into a noun just for use in this phrase? > > I have heard the phrase only as "every little /bit/ helps". AOL SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. Every > little *what*? > > Or did "little" turn into a noun just for use in this phrase? It comes from 'every little helps, as the old lady said when she pissed in the ocean' - but don't tell Tesco! So, in this case, every little drop. There's very little I can add. Little to see here. > > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. Every > > little *what*? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > in the ocean' - but don't tell Tesco! So, in this case, every little > drop. There's very little I can add. Little to see here. if I was a different supermarket I would start an ad campaign "every Lidl helps"... On Jun 30, 11:17 pm, Derek Turner <frde...@cesmail.net> wrote: > On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:01:09 -0400, MC wrote: > > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. Every [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > in the ocean' - but don't tell Tesco! So, in this case, every little > drop. There's very little I can add. Little to see here. >if I was a different supermarket I would start an ad campaign "every >Lidl helps"... Groan. That's been tried - but of course it's the wrong vowel sound. Regards Jonathan Jonathan Morton wrote, in <TImdncM94cU5GNfXnZ2dnUVZ8rSdnZ2d@bt.com> on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:37:38 +0100: > On Jun 30, 11:17 pm, Derek Turner <frde...@cesmail.net> wrote: > > On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:01:09 -0400, MC wrote: [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Groan. That's been tried - but of course it's the wrong vowel sound. Not the way it is universally pronounced in these parts - Dublin, Ireland. SignatureNick Spalding BrE/IrE Nick Spalding wrote... >> Luitenant Verkramp wrote... >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Not the way it is universally pronounced in these parts - Dublin, > Ireland. When I say "Lidl", it rhymes with "needle", a little more drawn out than Chevalier's vowel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNjUzD-IDyI How does it sound universally in Dublin? SignatureNoel Ildhund wrote, in <h2fbb7$82j$1@news.eternal-september.org> on Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:44:06 +0100: > Nick Spalding wrote... > >> Luitenant Verkramp wrote... [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNjUzD-IDyI > How does it sound universally in Dublin? As if it were spelt Liddle, which makes "every Lidl helps" work well. SignatureNick Spalding BrE/IrE > Ildhund wrote, in <h2fbb7$82j$1@news.eternal-september.org> > on Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:44:06 +0100: [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > As if it were spelt Liddle, which makes "every Lidl helps" work well. Every time I cross St. Kevin street in Montreal I burst into song: "Saint Kevin, for little girls... " Signature"Fiction writing is great. You can make up almost anything." - Ivana Trump > Ildhund wrote, in <h2fbb7$82j$1@news.eternal-september.org> > on Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:44:06 +0100: [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > As if it were spelt Liddle, which makes "every Lidl helps" work well. Yes, we understood that. But the word is German, so the rhyme with "needle" is more correct. Regards Jonathan Quoth "Ildhund" <jnllb@removemsn.com>, and I quote: >Nick Spalding wrote... >>> Luitenant Verkramp wrote... [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNjUzD-IDyI >How does it sound universally in Dublin? More like Burl Ives than Maurice le Pédophile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxo4rjO9cc4 SignatureJames >This phrase has bothered me since childhood. Your childhood clearly came later than my childhood. >It seems incomplete. Every >little *what*? Bit. Without the bit might be in the last 20 years. Maybe it was meant to be cutesy. >Or did "little" turn into a noun just for use in this phrase? I should admit that I had trouble when I was little with "a bird in the hand". I was probably 12 years old before I finally heard someone say the rest of it. SignaturePosters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I have lived in Western Pa. 10 years Indianapolis 10 years Chicago 6 years Brooklyn, NY 12 years Baltimore 26 years > >This phrase has bothered me since childhood. > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Without the bit might be in the last 20 years. Maybe it was meant to > be cutesy. I heard it in BrE a *lot* longer ago than 20 years. Signature"Fiction writing is great. You can make up almost anything." - Ivana Trump > I should admit that I had trouble when I was little with "a bird in > the hand". I was probably 12 years old before I finally heard someone > say the rest of it. As I had when I first heard about the birds and the bees here. We have no concept of being told about the birds and the bees where I'm from, so for a long time I assumed that it is some kind of educational story, and was curios what was in it (and especially why bees). Imagine my disappointment when I finally remembered to ask a native speaker, and was told that's all there is to it. SignatureYou'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone. "Patok": > As I had when I first heard about the birds and the bees here. We > have no concept of being told about the birds and the bees where I'm > from, so for a long time I assumed that it is some kind of educational > story, and was curios what was in it (and especially why bees). Imagine > my disappointment when I finally remembered to ask ... I like this version: "Pierre, it is time you told little Marcel about the birds and the bees." "All right. Marcel, you remember that session I arranged for you with Madame Ducharme? Well, the birds and the bees do that too." SignatureMark Brader, Toronto | A driver I know is getting uncomfortably close to msb@vex.net | earning the nickname "Crash". --Lee Ayrton My text in this article is in the public domain. > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. Every > little *what*? > > Or did "little" turn into a noun just for use in this phrase? Yes, it is a noun, but not just in this phrase. "Little"="a small quantity" dates back to c1220 according to the OED. >> This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. >> Every >> little *what*? "Every little breeze seems to whisper Louise." But really, it is very common to hear someone say "Oh, yes. I slept a little." "Did you eat at all?" "A little." "He couldn't wait just a little, and I don't understand why." Mostly, in my usage, it has been shortened from "a little bit", but in the last, "a little (bit of time or) while". >> Or did "little" turn into a noun just for use in this phrase? > > Yes, it is a noun, but not just in this phrase. "Little"="a small > quantity" dates back to c1220 according to the OED. > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. Every > little *what*? > > Or did "little" turn into a noun just for use in this phrase? I don't recall ever hearing it that way. "Bit" normally follows "little", although other nouns are possible. Bill in Kentucky ---------------------------------------------------------------- Reverse parts of the user name and ISP name for my e-address > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. Every > little *what*? > > Or did "little" turn into a noun just for use in this phrase? Where did you grow up? I've never heard that in any area where I've resided. In article <66287543-e2f3-4e41-972d-9df18953d6a6@l12g2000yqo.googlegroups.com>, > > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. Every > > little *what*? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Where did you grow up? I've never heard that in any area where I've > resided. Birmingham, UK Signature"Fiction writing is great. You can make up almost anything." - Ivana Trump > In article > <66287543-e2f3-4e41-972d-9df18953d6a6@l12g2000yqo.googlegroups.com>, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Birmingham, UK By the way the phrase gets 242,000 Google hits, whatever that may indicate... Signature"Fiction writing is great. You can make up almost anything." - Ivana Trump > By the way the phrase gets 242,000 Google hits, whatever that may > indicate... Note that more than half of them also include "Tesco". By comparison, less than a fifth of the hits on "just do it" include "Nike." I can't help thinking the expression would be just as antiquated in England as it is here in the US if it weren't a commercial slogan. The slogan is fairly recent, though. According to the Telegraph, it was launched in 1992: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/2788089/A-history-of-Tesco-The-rise-o f-Britains-biggest-supermarket.html It'd be interesting to look at frequency of use before and after its adoption. Unfortunately, Google Books seems to be having some trouble with arithmetic at the moment and isn't yielding useful counts for comparison: 1900-2009: 739 1992-2009: 630 1900-1991: 703 1970-1991: 600 1900-1969: 685 1910-1969: 664 1900-1909: 608 ¬R >> In article >> <66287543-e2f3-4e41-972d-9df18953d6a6@l12g2000yqo.googlegroups.com>, [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > By the way the phrase gets 242,000 Google hits, whatever that may > indicate... It indicates that a little goes a long way. Regards Jonathan El Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:53:55 -0400, MC escribió: > In article > <66287543-e2f3-4e41-972d-9df18953d6a6@l12g2000yqo.googlegroups.com>, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Birmingham, UK That'll be a smidgeon then, surely? SignaturePablo In article <66287543-e2f3-4e41-972d-9df18953d6a6 @l12g2000yqo.googlegroups.com>, tweeny90655@mypacks.net says... > > This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. Every > > little *what*? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Where did you grow up? I've never heard that in any area where I've > resided. Where have you resided? It seems fairly common in the UK. SignatureLinz Wet Yorks via Cambridge, York, London and Watford My accent may vary >This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. Every >little *what*? > >Or did "little" turn into a noun just for use in this phrase? "There's plenty to go round - would you like a little?" "Rub a little on each evening." "Too far. Back up a little." "You've got to give a little, take a little, let your poor heart break a little." It already is one. Cheers - Ian (BrE: Yorks., Hants.) >>This phrase has bothered me since childhood. It seems incomplete. >>Every [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > "You've got to give a little, take a little, let your poor heart break > a little." Oh, but that's the glory of love. Here's another: Alma: Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, Cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more Alma and Ethel: Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, Talk a little, cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more All the ladies: Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, Talk a little, cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/music_man/pick_a_little_talk_a_little.html > Alma: > Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, > Talk a little, cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more And the show somehow won the Tony _without_ bringing in Stephen Sondheim to write the lyrics. Amazing. SignatureRoland Hutchinson He calls himself "the Garden State's leading violist da gamba," ... comparable to being ruler of an exceptionally small duchy. --Newark (NJ) Star Ledger ( http://tinyurl.com/RolandIsNJ ) |
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