Waugh: not to speak to for any time

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Marius Hancu - 01 Jan 2010 20:43 GMT

Hello:

I'm not getting "not to speak to for any time."

Does it mean that the meeting with Julia at Ryders' wedding was
perfunctory, without speaking?

-----
[The Ryders meet Julia after some years on a ship and talk about it.
Chronology: the exhibition had preceded the wedding.]

'Julia who?'

'Mottram. I haven't seen her for years.'

Nor had I; not, in fact, since my wedding day, not to speak to for any
time, since the private view of my exhibition where the four canvases
at Marchmain House, lent by Brideshead, had hung together attracting
much attention.

Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited, p. 795
----
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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contrex - 01 Jan 2010 20:54 GMT

To see someone 'to speak to' means to see them closely enough, and
long enough, to have at least a brief conversation. So "I" had not
seen Julia Mottram for even a short time, neither since my weding day
nor since the private view of my exhibition.

Q. Have you seen John since 2005?
A. Not to speak to. (Implies that I have seen John from a distance or
very briefly in passing)

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Marius Hancu - 01 Jan 2010 21:16 GMT

> To see someone 'to speak to' means to see them closely enough, and
> long enough, to have at least a brief conversation. So "I" had not
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> A. Not to speak to. (Implies that I have seen John from a distance or
> very briefly in passing)

Interesting idiom.

--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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John Dean - 01 Jan 2010 23:46 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited, p. 795
> ----

More common today would be "for any length of time" ie Charles had seen her
and spoken to her but not at any length.

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John Dean
Oxford

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010

Waugh: not to speak to for any time