Re: "par coeur" origin

Paul J Kriha wrote:
TOF <fran_beta@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1145397038.611456.275980@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
retrosorter wrote:
TOF wrote:

The joining of the word "'off" with "by" does seem a tad unusual and I
can't think offhand of another example in English where this occurs.
Does it in essence represent a joining if the idiomatic verb ""know
off' with ''by heart'?
I doubt it. Where I come from (Australia) I've not heard someone split
"off" from "by" (although the "off" is occasionally omitted.)

Oh really?
"By now, you must be able to recite it off, you bloody drongo, by heart."


This construction with a double preposition does happen a lot, and it's right that in most the two can be separated, like in "I went out---to the shops", but I'm not at all convinced that in this case two can be separated. It really is "learned it---off by heart", and not "learned it off---by heart"

In order not to have to just past it off as an idiomatic expression, I tried to think of some other examples, but the only one I could think of off the top of my head was "I got it off of the internet", which isn't really mainstream usage.

I think the same thing happens in German too sometimes, doesn't it? Yet again though I am at a loss to provide a proper example.

I would have been more tempted to classify it as a compound preposition, but unless a wider range of examples become apparent it could be just an idiomatic adverbial phrase, like "to-morrow".

Erm, reading what I've just written, I'm not entirely sure that what I've just written isn't a load of cobblers. Please don't hit me.
PJM
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: "par coeur" origin
    ... Does it in essence represent a joining if the idiomatic verb ""know ... "By now, you must be able to recite it off, you bloody drongo, by heart." ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: (OT) Obama!
    ... abolish the military because they are nationalist and insincere? ... Joining the military is a substantive act. ... your heart when you say the pledge of alligiance isn't. ...
    (rec.sport.football.college)
  • Re: Check Box
    ... Now that's funny. ... newsgroup since joining a while back. ... Never took any of it to heart. ...
    (microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions)
  • Re: "par coeur" origin
    ... TOF wrote in message ... retrosorter wrote: ... Once we're on the "by heart" subject, why is it that some people say ... Does it in essence represent a joining if the idiomatic verb ""know ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: "par coeur" origin
    ... TOF wrote: ... Once we're on the "by heart" subject, why is it that some people say ... Is it merely idiomatic with no logical explanation? ... Does it in essence represent a joining if the idiomatic verb ""know ...
    (sci.lang)
Loading