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Re: OT: French/English etymology question: "sauf"/"save"

From:Christophe Grandsire <christophe.grandsire@...>
Date:Tuesday, December 9, 2003, 6:03
En réponse à jcowan@REUTERSHEALTH.COM :


>Christophe Grandsire scripsit: > > > [...] tennis (in that the opponents are in front of each other [...] > >ObMeta: This is an interesting idiom: is it the usual French expression?
"l'un devant l'autre", basically yes.
>It is illogical on its face: if A is in front of B, B cannot be in front >of A, assuming a single reference frame.
Why should you?
> Therefore, what is meant must be >that the opponents are each in front of the other in their own reference >frames, a very different way of looking at it.
I don't find it unusual. Actually, I've seen it written enough times to think it was the usual form.
>(The actual English idiom is "facing each other".)
Thanks! Christophe Grandsire. http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr You need a straight mind to invent a twisted conlang.

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<jcowan@...>"each other" vs. "each ... the other"