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Post by Geoff on Feb 19, 2010 11:57:55 GMT
There's an advertisement currently being shown on television where important words appear on a tag with a string tie. The words on the tag are as follows: UP TO 50% OFF EVERY THING I get the impression that, as the words on each line extend to the edge of the tag, the word everything has been split across two lines. This makes me wonder if the wording, as it appears in the advertisement (above), says the same thing as if the wording had been written as: UP TO 50% OFF EVERYTHING There's no question as to the intended meaning whether the tag had been written one way or the other; but do both say (exactly) the same thing? What do you think?
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Post by Dave on Feb 19, 2010 15:44:24 GMT
"Every thing" implies (if not truly explicit*) each item, one at a time. "Everything" implies more of a group nature, all the things together. The result in this case is pretty much the same.
In the case of "up to 50% off" used in the ad, the buyer has to examine each item (group) individually to find the actual discount being offered, which might mean that there's one item at 50% off and the rest in the store have lower (or even no!?) discount!
One furniture store here annually has their "half off sale, the discount everyone understands." It's truly half off the price of everything in stock--and most can figure that in their head!
*Why isn't exply a word?
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Post by Alan Palmer on Feb 22, 2010 11:59:52 GMT
I suppose, if you were to take it literally, That "everything" would mean that you had to buy their entire stock to get the 50% discount.
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Post by Geoff on Feb 22, 2010 22:16:51 GMT
Interesting interpretation, Alan.
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