As many AS

[Dave Miller]

I’ve noticed a trend to miss out the second part, when using the phrase “as many as ...”.

An example just now on the TV news had a teacher saying “Obviously, we want as many people to have the vaccination and then ...”. I haven’t spotted it in written reports (except of course where quoting what was spoken) so is it just a case of the speaker forgetting how the sentence began, or is it the emergence of a new phrase?

[Little Jack Horner]

I don’t know that I have really noticed this, or maybe once, but I think it is merely someone losing track mid-sentence of what they were saying because their mind was racing ahead of their words. I think that most people’s casual conversation wanders about haphazardly with half sentences, stops and starts, and repetitions. You say you haven’t seen it in writing, Dave, which I think supports this. Listen to real life small talk and compare it with theatrical dialogue, no matter how realistic the latter sounds. 

[Verbivore]

I, too, am inclined to think it's just a case of the speaker forgetting how the sentence began.

In another thread we discussed differing national uses of prepositions (e.g. BrE "It's not that big a deal" compared to AmE ""It's not that big OF a deal").

Another usage that I find odd is the AmE "As far as [x], blah blah blah", whereas in BrE we'd say "As far as [x] GOES, blah blah blah". My own preference is "As for [x], blah …".

[Dave Miller]

Jan 15, 2021 21:05:04 GMT Verbivore said:

I, too, am inclined to think it's just a case of the speaker forgetting how the sentence began.

In another thread we discussed differing national uses of prepositions (e.g. BrE "It's not that big a deal" compared to AmE ""It's not that big OF a deal").

Another usage that I find odd is the AmE "As far as [x], blah blah blah", whereas in BrE we'd say "As far as [x] GOES, blah blah blah". My own preference is "As for [x], blah …".

Agreed. One of my bug-bears is the use, in that circumstance, of "In terms of [x] ..." No! "In terms of" does NOT mean "as for [x] ..." or "as regards [x] ...". It means "When expressed in the terms used to describe [y], [x] ..."!

So:

In terms of the number of deaths, pandemic A was the more serious. However, in terms of the spread across countries, pandemic A was much more minor than B.

Otherwise, no "terms" are concerned.

[Dave Miller]

An example this morning from Michael Gove, in an otherwise carefully prepared statement:

"But secondarily I'm sure we all want to do everything possible to make sure that as many people in countries which our are friends and neighbours are vaccinated and I think we best achieve that through dialogue and co-operation and friendship."

[Dave]

Jan 28, 2021 10:06:48 GMT Dave Miller said:

An example this morning from Michael Gove, in an otherwise carefully prepared statement:

"But secondarily I'm sure we all want to do everything possible to make sure that as many people in countries which our are friends and neighbours are vaccinated and I think we best achieve that through dialogue and co-operation and friendship."

Perhaps not careful enough with respect to the our/are part of his statement as well!

[Verbivore]

G'day, Dave  :-)

Long time … . Plenty of distractions, no doubt.