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May 17, 2005
an ask, a watch and a miss
One trend linguists have noticed recently is the increased use of verbs as nouns in structures like ‘a good read’. The most common one is ‘a big ask’ as used by sports commentators in a situation like when a team is two-nil down at half-time. (It’s ‘a big ask’ to expect them to come back, as Michael Howard just found out ;-) Apparently, it started in fundraising circles.
I just heard two new examples. First, Alan Hansen on Match of the Day said that the dramatic day of relegation-deciding matches on Sunday had been ‘a wonderful watch’. Then last night Paul Gascoigne was on a documentary about what happens to footballers after they retire (talking to Alan Hansen, coincidentally). Talking about how much he had missed playing when he first stopped, he said ‘oh yes, it was a big miss’.
It’s an interesting example of some of the processes of language change. I think it would be right to say that the language system itself hasn’t changed, since we have been making nouns from verbs for ages (e.g. ‘a good read’) but language use has changed. It also shows grownups making generalisations, i.e. they’re not just saying ‘a big ask’ but somehow ‘deciding’ that verbs can be used as nouns and doing it to verbs other than ‘ask’. It also gives me a couple of new ambiguity examples to use in class.
B-)
Princeton - making the ‘big ask’
Posted by Billy at May 17, 2005 9:22 AM
Comments
Interesting. This also reminded me of the time when I read this on the window of a tile shop "the cheapest, the best, the most". This use of "the most" seemed a little bit weird to me. I did check it out in the Oxford Dictionary and I found even more interesting examples:
* slang (orig. and chiefly U.S.). the most (in predicative use): the best or finest example, ‘the best’; something that is extremely good.
1953 Time 17 Aug. 3/1 It's the most!
1954 New Yorker 18 Sept. 30/1 I'm feeling the most today.
1963 J. O. KILLENS And then we heard Thunder 15 Sam's Army is just about the most.
1969 H. WAUGH Young Prey (1970) 6 ‘So{em}you like the ride ?’.. ‘No kidding, it was the most!’
1976 L. ROSTEN 3:10 to Anywhere 27 You're the most, doll-face.
So does this work in British English as well?
Posted by: Mai ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://blogs.mtengine.com/billy/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 17, 2005 3:03 PM
Yes, 'the most' does work like that in British English too. it does have an American, and outdated, feel to it. With the tile shop, though, I think it might have just been an ellipsis for something like 'the most tiles' (i.e. more than anyone else).
B-)
Posted by: billy at June 27, 2005 9:36 PM
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