Waugh: for not being there to welcome them

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Marius Hancu - 02 Jan 2010 11:12 GMT

Hello:

1. "no time to reply; time for a laugh"
Now, was there or wasn't there time _for a laugh_?

2. "apologized for not being there to welcome them"
This sounds to me (perhaps intentionally) ambiguous.

"apologized for not having been there to welcome them"
seems to me a bit more clear in its temporal precedence
while the original can possibly be understood as:
"I apologize, but I am not here _right now_ to welcome you, I have
other (and better) stuff to do (such as entertaining Mr. Ryder)".

-----
[Rex and Julia Mottram. He's a politico, she doesn't like her husband
any more, and esp doesn't seem to like the parties he brings to their
home for his political interests. She and Charles Ryder are in love
now.]

Rex, in his early forties, had grown heavy and ruddy; he had lost his
Canadian accent and acquired instead the hoarse, loud tone that was
common to all his friends, as though their voices were perpetually
strained to make themselves heard about a crowd, as though, with youth
forsaking them, there was no time to wait for the opportunity to
speak, no time to listen, no time to reply; time for a laugh -- a
throaty mirthless laugh, the base currency of goodwill.

...

They all feared Julia, Grizel included. She greeted them and
apologized for not being there to welcome them with a formality which
hushed them for a minute; then she came and sat with me near the fire,
and the storm of talk arose once more and whirled about our ears.

Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited, p. 822
----
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Cheryl - 02 Jan 2010 11:43 GMT

> Hello:
>
> 1. "no time to reply; time for a laugh"
> Now, was there or wasn't there time _for a laugh_?

Literally, yes, because he gave a "throaty mirthless laugh", but the
phrase means that he didn't have time to stay around and have fun with
his friends. That's why the 'goodwill' (normally expressed by a laugh)
was 'base'. There are a few phrases like that people say when they're
trying to appear friendly and interested in someone while really trying
to get away from them as quickly as possible. "Oh, how lovely to see you
again! Sorry, no time to chat; but we must get in touch again soon." -
All said while edging away from the other person.

> 2. "apologized for not being there to welcome them"
> This sounds to me (perhaps intentionally) ambiguous.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> "I apologize, but I am not here _right now_ to welcome you, I have
> other (and better) stuff to do (such as entertaining Mr. Ryder)".

No, I wouldn't understand it that way at all. She is there right now,
apologizing to them because at some point in the recent past, probably
the moment at which they entered the house, she wasn't there to welcome
them.

I think you could use either 'not being there' or 'not having been
there' - I'd probably tend to use the shorter version - but in either
case, the speaker is present now offering apologies.

> -----
> [Rex and Julia Mottram. He's a politico, she doesn't like her husband
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> Thanks.
> Marius Hancu

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Cheryl

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010

Waugh: for not being there to welcome them