There is an idiom (not idiot, Steve) in English: had better, which means must. I know nearly every English-speaking person doesn’t know this idiom even exists. Yet…
The construction is used in such sentences as, “I had better get home before my mother kills me.” I know; most people say and write, “I better get home, etc.” That’s just plain wrong no matter how many people say or write it that way.
My sterling American Heritage dictionary says it’s a subjunctive formation (see the Style and Syntax page under Mood) and dates to Middle English.
Whatever it is and wherever it comes from, I think the reason it has slipped from our language is because we would usually write or say it as a contraction: I’d better. Well, we do have lazy tongues sometimes, and the -d gets dropped enough times until no one knows it was ever supposed to be there. Not even the younger generation of copyeditors, who are supposed to know.
BTW, this applies to all nouns before the construction. You’d better. He’d better. She’d better. They’d better. Michael had better. You get the picture.
1) Russell’s an idiom? OK, well, you’re the expert. Russell’s an idiom.
2) “I had better get home before my mother kills me.” Uh, yeah. Isn’t that the only time I CAN get home? And, btw, why am I going home where Mom wants to kill me?
3) “Like I said…” “As I said…” I still don’t get it. I say “As I said” because Nana has shamed me out of saying “Like I said”, but I don’t know why. Why?
4) Intriguingly, surprisingly, etc. I understand what you were saying about “intriguingly” not being used the way it was, but it still sounds right to me. Is that just because I’m so used to hearing it wrong? Is it the same situation with “surprisingly?” Any other words? “Surprisingly, I’m worth well over $10 million.” That one seems to be right. Is it?
5) I’ve never heard anyone say that a sentence can be ended with a preposition. Can you always end a sentence with a preposition? Are there exceptions?
6) Are you sorry yet that you gave me the link to your blog?
#1 Comment vom 30. April 2009 um 4:42 pm
1. Your brother isn’t an idiom either. He’s your baby brother (middle-aged farts though you may be), and you’re supposed to love him and protect him and support him.
2. Your mother would never kill you, so let me rewrite the sentence since you take it so personally. “I’d better get home before my loving, kind and decent mother gets worried.”
3. Yes, your grandmother is a dog with bone over this one. I think if you asked her, she could even tell when to use as/as if/like and why. As/asif/like will be coming soon. Look for it in a blog near you.
4. Your sentence is correct because “surprisingly” modifies the verb “am.” (And don’t exaggerate; you’re worth maybe $1.50.) Yes, it sounds right to you because it’s so common. Who cares. It’s still not right. The adverb’s job is to modify, limit, describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. If there are none (none is a collective noun) of these things around in the sentence, then it’s just slowly twisting in the wind. Then, we in the know call it a misplaced modifier.
5. There is no rule, I repeat, no rule that says sentences can’t end in prepositions, which means they can. I know your language arts teachers drilled it into your head, and that’s because it was drilled into theirs. This lousy intepretation of grammar has been perpetuated for generations. If the sentence reads best with a preposition at the end, then the sentence is correct. Why twist yourself into a pretzel trying not to end the sentence with a preposition.
6. Not yet.
#2 Comment vom 01. May 2009 um 9:40 am
Thanks. You’re my favorite aunt (pronounced “ant”).
#3 Comment vom 01. May 2009 um 2:31 pm
I’m not a creepy, crawly thing. I’m your glorious, magnificent and radiant ahhhhnt.
#4 Comment vom 03. May 2009 um 7:54 am