Yes, next Wednesday as ever is

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Marius Hancu - 30 Nov 2006 11:44 GMT

Hello:

Does
"Yes, next Wednesday as ever is."
mean
"Yes, it is indeed on Wednesday?"
(i.e. with "ever" used for emphasis).

Also
"we must look alive"
does it mean:
"we must move quickly to be back in time"
or
"We still have to at least seem to be doing some real work at the
office, thus I need to come back in time?"

-------
"Hallo, Dad--Yes: Dallas. I say--how do you feel about sailing on
Wednesday? Mauretania: Yes, next Wednesday as ever is. Our client
wants me to look at some Italian gardens before we settle anything,
and has asked me to nip over on the next boat. I've got to be back on
the first of June--" the voice broke into a joyful conscious
laugh--"so we must look alive. I say, Dad, I want your help: do
come."

Edith Wharton, Age of Innocence, p. 393
http://www.bookrags.com/ebooks/541/189.html
-------

Thank you.
Marius Hancu

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Don Phillipson - 30 Nov 2006 12:47 GMT

> Does
> "Yes, next Wednesday as ever is."
> mean
> "Yes, it is indeed on Wednesday?"
> (i.e. with "ever" used for emphasis).

Yes -- this 3-word phrase merely provides emphasis.

> Also
> "we must look alive"
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> "We still have to at least seem to be doing some real work at the
> office, thus I need to come back in time?"

"Look lively" = "Look alive" = "Act swiftly."

I'd say both were standard colloquial English
a century ago, perhaps nowadays slipping out
of use.

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Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

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Marius Hancu - 30 Nov 2006 13:02 GMT

> "Look lively" = "Look alive" = "Act swiftly."
>
> I'd say both were standard colloquial English
> a century ago, perhaps nowadays slipping out
> of use.

Thank you.
Marius Hancu

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tinwhistler - 30 Nov 2006 22:30 GMT

> "Look lively" = "Look alive" = "Act swiftly."
>
> I'd say both were standard colloquial English
> a century ago, perhaps nowadays slipping out
> of use.

A search at Google Books yielded several usages in the last ten years
as per the definition in a 1911 dic:

http://books.google.com/books?q=look+alive&btnG=Search+Books&as_brr=0

Beach-la-mar: the jargon or trade speech of the western Pacific - Page
45
by William Churchill - 1911 - 54 pages
V 252. V253. look alive : hurry up, be quick

However, I'd have to agree that this sense seems to be gradually
fading away.

Aoha ~~~ Ozzie Maland ~~~ San Diego

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

Yes, next Wednesday as ever is