>Andreas Johansson scripsit:
>
>> I recently found on a piece of electronic stuff the instruction "The power
>> turns off by pressing the button". I thought this was an odd way of putting
>> it, and said so. But a there-present girl, who like me isn't a L1 speaker of
>> English, insisted it was a perfectly normal expression. I still it's
>> somewhere on the line between weirdness and ergativity. So, what does the
>> Native Speakers (tm) on the list think?
Yes, Andreas, you are right on this one.
>I agree with Eamon that this particular case is improbable, but there are
>many other verbs that can behave this way in English.
>
>The one that comes to mind is "This fish eats well with rice."
Blech! I find that expression as grating as "The car needs fixed." I
*hate* that!
Kou