On Thu, 20 Jan 2000, John Cowan wrote:
>As do all Americans, a point frequently muddled by English authors
>in their attempts to represent American English. They make their
>poor characters commit things like *"He hasn't gotten any sense", which
>can only mean "He hasn't *acquired* any sense", which is nonsense!
Hardly nonsense! Take a 30 year old who is constantly getting himself
into trouble and who ought to know better: he certainly hasn't gotten
any sense yet! Certainly nonsense with the meaning or intention of "he
has no sense".
Padraic.
>The natural expression is "He hasn't got any sense"; "He hasn't any sense"
>seems a bit odd here.
>
>Sometimes the two are in minimal contrast. "He hasn't got any money"
>means he is poor; "He hasn't gotten any money" means none has arrived
>from the source in question.
>
>--
>
>Schlingt dreifach einen Kreis vom dies! || John Cowan <jcowan@...>
>Schliesst euer Aug vor heiliger Schau, ||
http://www.reutershealth.com
>Denn er genoss vom Honig-Tau, ||
http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
>Und trank die Milch vom Paradies. -- Coleridge (tr. Politzer)
>