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Discussion Groups / English Usage / December 2009he doesn't aim to be too somber
There is a common speech pattern in which people use a negative term and an exaggeration to express their true meaning. Today's newspaper has an article about a returning soldier: "He's going through his snapshots from Iraq, turning them into works of art. He said he doesn't aim to be 'too somber or too meaningful.'" It's silly to attempt to literally be "too somber" or "too meaningful" or too much of anything. Normally one attempts to be sufficiently meaningful. It also seems pointless to tell what is person is not attempting. A positive statement might be "He attempts to avoid depressing aspects of war." What are some other candidates for a roughly equivalent positive statement? Why is this speech pattern so prevalent?  SignatureThad >There is a common speech pattern in which people use a negative term and >an exaggeration to express their true meaning. Today's newspaper has an [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >Why is this speech pattern so prevalent? Because it's conversation, not a prepared statement where the person gives thought and attention to coming up with the right mix of words. Your version is prepared. His version - "he said" - was off-the-cuff. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >from Iraq, turning them into works of art. He said he doesn't aim to be >'too somber or too meaningful.'" > >It's silly to attempt to literally be "too somber" or "too meaningful" >or too much of anything. It's also silly to fail to recognize that negative modifiers are used idiomatically in ways that aren't perfectly logical. "I don't aim to" normally doesn't mean that it's fine if I do so without trying; it means "I aim not to." He aims not to be overly somber or meaningful. ¬R / Darla: Leftovers aren't the mark of a man. \ www.bestweb.net/~notr Andrew Reid: Actually, they are, because that's how men's shirts button. > There is a common speech pattern in which people use a negative term and > an exaggeration to express their true meaning. Today's newspaper has an [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Why is this speech pattern so prevalent? It could be an attempt to pre-empt anticipated criticism or lack of interest. The soldier might expect that potential patrons of art won't want to see depressing and somber works of art about war, so he says they're not too somber. I'm not sure why he doesn't want them to be too meaningful. You'd think people who like art would want to see meaningful pieces. Maybe he's mistaking 'meaningful' for 'pretentious', and means that everyone can appreciate his art. It won't be for art critics only. SignatureCheryl > 'too somber or too meaningful.'" Do you leftpondians really mis-spell sombre like that? That's new one on me. Thought it was a typo in the subject line! >> 'too somber or too meaningful.'" > > Do you leftpondians really mis-spell sombre like that? That's new one > on me. Thought it was a typo in the subject line! We Leftpondians try to speak English, not copy the French. The *variant* spelling "sombre" does exist, though, the dictionary says. SignatureSkitt (AmE) > >> 'too somber or too meaningful.'" > > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > We Leftpondians try to speak English, not copy the French. The *variant* > spelling "sombre" does exist, though, the dictionary says. Is the variant pronounced SOM-bray or som-BRAY? SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email > "Skitt" wrote: >>>> 'too somber or too meaningful.'" >>> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Is the variant pronounced SOM-bray or som-BRAY? According to M-W, both spellings are pronounced the same -- SOM-burr. SignatureSkitt (AmE) > > "Skitt" wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > According to M-W, both spellings are pronounced the same -- SOM-burr. Oh. I thought it was short for "sombrero". SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email John Varela skrev: > > According to M-W, both spellings are pronounced the same -- SOM-burr. > Oh. I thought it was short for "sombrero". It's the same word anyway. SignatureBertel, Denmark >> 'too somber or too meaningful.'" > > Do you leftpondians really mis-spell sombre like that? That's new one > on me. Thought it was a typo in the subject line! If you have read any phonological literature you may also have seen "tamber" for "timbre". I don't think anyone spells it as "timber" (except perhaps to describe the voices in the Lumberjack Song). SignatureJames >>> 'too somber or too meaningful.'" >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >"tamber" for "timbre". I don't think anyone spells it as "timber" >(except perhaps to describe the voices in the Lumberjack Song). Huh? Voices have timbre and those lumberjacks never said timber, unless I missed seeing it in: http://www.metrolyrics.com/lumberjack-song-lyrics-monty-python.html SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE |
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