Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2015 April 13

= April 13 =

Empty infinitive?
Is there a term for that thing where "to" is used in place of a full infinitive? For example, "I haven't done that, but I'd like to." I made up "empty infinitive" (by analogy with "bare infinitive"), though on second thought you could probably make a case for it not being an infinitive at all. --Lazar Taxon (talk) 05:45, 13 April 2015 (UTC)


 * Verb phrase ellipsis? ---Sluzzelin talk  06:19, 13 April 2015 (UTC)


 * "To" is often being clapped into service for work it was never designed to do. Such as:
 * I hated that movie.
 * I did to.
 * That's to bad. We both wasted our money.
 * To true.
 * Grrrr. --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  21:35, 13 April 2015 (UTC)


 * I assume you corrected them immediately, especially the last to. :-) StuRat (talk) 21:54, 13 April 2015 (UTC)


 * It should be pointed out to impressionable English learners that Jack's comments above are a humorous joke based on homophones, and that Sluzelin has given the correct answer. μηδείς (talk) 16:22, 14 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Humorous joke? Is there any other kind?  Also, Sluzelin might not be a homophone of Sluzzelin, but I guess it'll have to do.  --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  23:58, 14 April 2015 (UTC)
 * It helps when communicating with beginning English speakers to do so loudly, slowly, with much hand waving and lipsmacking, and to do so redundantly. You really should watch the show Damages for how a real Aussie speaks to foreigners, Jack.  I was originally going to say humorous "comment", but thought better of it. μηδείς (talk)
 * It's the word "humorous" that's out of place. My comment was meant seriously, not as a joke or to engender humour.  Misuse of simple words is a horrific social problem.  There are not many ways to misspell "too".  --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  06:15, 15 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Et tu, Brute? KägeTorä - (影虎)  ( もしもし！ ) 13:33, 15 April 2015 (UTC)
 * That's two funny -- Q Chris (talk) 15:45, 15 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Sorry, Jack, I was confused. μηδείς (talk) 19:09, 15 April 2015 (UTC)
 * At to (more specifically, at to), it is called a particle, with the verb implied. I still consider it to be a preposition, and I still prefer to avoid using it at the end of a sentence or a clause.  ("I have not done that, but I would like to do it.")
 * —Wavelength (talk) 00:42, 14 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Perhaps a cousin to this type of statement often heard in my part of the world: "I'm going to the store. Do you want to come with?" ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 14:13, 15 April 2015 (UTC)
 * UMAE? ---Sluzzelin talk  14:20, 15 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Ja, shoor, yoo betcha! ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 14:24, 15 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Ooooh. ---Sluzzelin talk  20:49, 15 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Come with is common in the Midwest, not only in the "Fargo" dialect.. Rmhermen (talk) 05:35, 17 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Yes, the use of a preposition at the end of a sentence is something up with which I shall not put. KägeTorä - (影虎)  ( もしもし！ ) 13:35, 15 April 2015 (UTC)


 * BTW, McDormand's accent is spot on, hence the Oscar. MY beloved Sarah Palin suffers from the same dialect.  See also this map, see Finnish and Norwegian. μηδείς (talk) 21:54, 16 April 2015 (UTC)

Song of the Paddle again...
A question above refers to a classic 1978 Canadian documentary film; Song of the Paddle; however I have it in my head that this is also the title of a 19th century ballad by somebody like Robert W. Service. Or am I mistaken? It's annoying me now; please help. Alansplodge (talk) 15:43, 13 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Possibly "Paddle Your Own Canoe" (1850) by Sarah T Bolton? Tevildo (talk) 18:34, 14 April 2015 (UTC)
 * There is a poem called "Paddling Song" by George Soane which might be a better candidate. Tevildo (talk) 18:49, 14 April 2015 (UTC)


 * Thank you Tevildo; I may have been conflating Paddle Your Own Canoe with Songs of a Sourdough; both of which are quoted by Robert Baden-Powell in Rovering to Success. Thanks also for the Paddling Song which I hadn't seen before but I'm already humming. Alansplodge (talk) 19:24, 14 April 2015 (UTC)