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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004make a point of doing
I understand that the idiom "make a point of doing" is often used to mean that the action is very deliberate as in "She always makes a point of asking a question just as the meeting is about to end." In this case the idiom indicates the speaker's disapproval of her action. Correct? Now, here's the question: is it common (or at least possible) to use it without any of these bad connotations? For example, how would you feel about the following sentence? "He makes a point of writing to his mother every week." Does it conjure up the image of an admirable son who is nice to his mother or is he more likely to be someone cunning--perhaps someone who ingratiates his mother so that he will receive more money than his siblings when she dies? becky >Now, here's the question: is it common (or at least possible) to use it >without any of these bad connotations? For example, how would you feel [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >who ingratiates his mother so that he will receive more money than his >siblings when she dies? I'd read that without any bad connotations. To me it simply suggests more deliberateness and intentionality than "He writes ...". Context might change that in one direction or the other.  SignatureKaty Jennison spamtrap: remove number to reply In our last episode, <4fe7b034.0401221012.32302f7f@posting.google.com>, the lovely and talented becky broadcast on alt.usage.english: > I understand that the idiom "make a point of doing" is often used to > mean that the action is very deliberate as in > "She always makes a point of asking a question just as the meeting is > about to end." > In this case the idiom indicates the speaker's disapproval of her action. > Correct? The speaker does disapprove of the action, but "makes a point of" only means that the speaker thinks the action is deliberate and the result of a conscious intention. That is why the speaker disapproves. The speaker doesn't think the questioner just happens to ask a question when the meeting is about to break up or that the questioner does so without realizing that she prolongs many meetings. "To make a point of" is neither a good thing nor a bad thing; but what is made a point of makes it so. > Now, here's the question: is it common (or at least possible) to use it > without any of these bad connotations? For example, how would you feel > about the following sentence? > "He makes a point of writing to his mother every week." > Does it conjure up the image of an admirable son who is nice to his > mother or is he more likely to be someone cunning--perhaps someone > who ingratiates his mother so that he will receive more money than his > siblings when she dies? It does indicate that he has to make a conscious effort to write his mother every week, but it does not indicate whether he does so from a sense of filial obligation or from avarice. SignatureLars Eighner -finger for geek code- eighner@io.com http://www.io.com/~eighner/ It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. --Oscar Wilde > I understand that the idiom "make a point of doing" is often used to > mean that the action is very deliberate as in > "She always makes a point of asking a question just as the meeting is > about to end." > In this case the idiom indicates the speaker's disapproval of her action. > Correct? No, not really. The "makes a point of" part indicates that "she" is certain to do this, she can be relied to do it, and probably that it is important to her. You can tell the speaker doesn't approve of this because of how the sentence ends. If it had merely been "She always makes a point of asking a question" there would be no annoyance. > Now, here's the question: is it common (or at least possible) to use it > without any of these bad connotations? For example, how would you feel > about the following sentence? > "He makes a point of writing to his mother every week." Yes, that's perfectly fine. > Does it conjure up the image of an admirable son who is nice to his > mother or is he more likely to be someone cunning--perhaps someone > who ingratiates his mother so that he will receive more money than his > siblings when she dies? It doesn't really speak to motive. It means he is regular about writing his mother, and he makes an effort to remember to do so. So the former is more likely than the latter. I looked through some old posts with that phrase. In one, I said that after experiencing how important WWII was to Europe, I made a point of getting Churchill's history of it and reading it through. Someone else said Thomas Edison made a point of recording every famous person he could. It's something about effort and determination. SignatureBest - Donna Richoux > I understand that the idiom "make a point of doing" is often used to > mean that the action is very deliberate as in [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > becky Thanks, Wood, Lars, and Donna! Your comments were most helpful. becky |
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