Re: observable language change - "off of" makes it to the NY Times

On Aug 12, 3:05 pm, Adam Funk <a24...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 2008-08-12, Harlan Messinger wrote:

For crying out loud, do you think he made this up? From the OED:

?c1450 in G. Müller Aus mittelengl. Medizintexten (1929) 116 Take a
sponfull of {th}e licour..of of {th}e fyir and sette it in good place
tyl {th}at it be ny colde, soo as {th}ou mayst suffryn to holdyn
{th}er-in {th}in hand. a1616 SHAKESPEARE Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) II. i.
98 A fall off of [1594 Falling off on] a Tree. 1667 A. MARVELL Corr. in
Wks. (1875) II. 224 The Lords and we cannot yet get off of the
difficultyes risen betwixt us. 1678 J. BUNYAN Pilgrim's Progress 49
About a furlong off of the Porters Lodge. 1712 R. STEELE Spectator No.
306 {page}6, I could not keep my Eyes off of her.

I had no idea the expression had such a respectable pedigree. Maybe
I'll start using it in formal writing after all. :-)

Analys... will be _so_ proud of having corrupted you!
.

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