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Discussion Groups / English Usage / August 2007"I can't seem to remember"
What's the difference between "I can't remember" and "I can't seem to remember"??? > What's the difference between "I can't remember" and "I can't seem to > remember"??? The first is the truth and the second is a lie.  SignatureFranke: EFL teacher & medical editor Native speaker of American English; posting from Taiwan. "It has come to my attention that my opinions are not universally shared." Scott Adams. >>What's the difference between "I can't remember" and "I can't seem to >>remember"??? > > The first is the truth and the second is a lie. Plus the second doesn't even seem to be idiomatic: I would expect "I don't seem to remember". The actual phrase that has now been used in numerous court cases in Australia, originally by Alan Bond, but later by a series of politicians is "I do not recall". SignatureRob Bannister >>>What's the difference between "I can't remember" and "I can't seem to >>>remember"??? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Plus the second doesn't even seem to be idiomatic: I would expect "I don't > seem to remember". <...> No person can tell how he seems. Only another can make that judgment. Unless the speaker is talking about his image in a mirror or photograph. I seem handsome. During his congressional hearings, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales (or "Allie G." as we like to call him) repeatedly claimed to be unable to recall anything. But he did not seem to be unable. "I can't seem to..." is entirely idiomatic. > "I can't seem to..." is entirely idiomatic. And, as mentioned here not long ago, what it means is, "I would expect to be able to... but somehow I can't." SignatureMark Brader | "We didn't just track down that bug, Toronto | we left evidence of its extermination msb@vex.net | as a warning to other bugs" --Dan Lyke >> "I can't seem to..." is entirely idiomatic. > >And, as mentioned here not long ago, what it means is, "I would expect >to be able to... but somehow I can't." AOL >>>>What's the difference between "I can't remember" and "I can't seem to >>>>remember"??? [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Unless the speaker is talking about his image in a mirror or photograph. I > seem handsome. "I can't seem to..." is an idiomatic way (meta-sompinornother, innit?) of saying "I don't seem to be able to...", meaning "It seems to me that (at present, for some reason) I can't..." SignatureRoland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food. NB mail to my.spamtrap [at] verizon.net is heavily filtered to remove spam. If your message looks like spam I may not see it. >>>>What's the difference between "I can't remember" and "I can't seem to >>>>remember"??? [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > "I can't seem to..." is entirely idiomatic. And the meaning is "It seems I can't", although I prefer "It seems I don't". SignatureRob Bannister > What's the difference between "I can't remember" and "I can't seem to > remember"??? FYI, I saw the expression "I can't seem to remember" in the novel "Norwegian Wood" written by Murakami Haruki. Although it's translated from Japanese to English. "Mind if I sit down?" she asked. "Or are you expecting somebody?" Still uncertain, I shook my head. "No, nobody's coming. Please." With a wooden clunk, she dragged a chair out and sat down across from me, staring straight at me through her sunglasses, then glancing down at my plate. "Looks good," she said. "It is good. Mushroom omelette and green pea salad." "Damn," she said. "Oh, well, I'll get it next time. I already ordered something else." "What'd you order?" "Macaroni and cheese." "Their macaroni and cheese is not bad, either," I said. "By the way, do I know you? I can't seem to remember." > What's the difference between "I can't remember" and "I can't seem to > remember"??? I used to know these things... SignatureRoland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food. NB mail to my.spamtrap [at] verizon.net is heavily filtered to remove spam. If your message looks like spam I may not see it. >> What's the difference between "I can't remember" and "I can't seem to >> remember"??? > > I used to know these things... I didn't used to but now I do. ByEobs <mooeobchoi@gmail.com> wrote in news:1188383382.694637.110730 @x35g2000prf.googlegroups.com: > What's the difference between "I can't remember" and "I can't seem to > remember"??? The second indicates some doubt, as if the speaker's current impression is that she cannot remember, but that impression might be false. Maybe with enough effort or time she could remember. -Dan Damouth |
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