Re:Did English ever have a formal version of "you"? (2011)
by jackfoxy on Monday December 25, 2023 @01:03PM
(#38764641)
I would also say good old small.. but the rest of the adjectives flow as I would expect to hear and say.
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Re:Did English ever have a formal version of "you"? (2011)
by eszed on Tuesday December 26, 2023 @12:15AM
(#38769108)
Yeah, but "good old" has an independent phrasal meaning, as in "good old Charlie Brown". That's fine if that's what you mean, or if you want to play with the ambiguity between the two interpretations - but if that's definitely not what you mean, then best use the standard phrasing.
Re:Did English ever have a formal version of "you"? (2011)
by likeclockwork on Tuesday December 26, 2023 @04:11PM
(#38776100)
I don't think it's independent at all. I think it assigns the quality of good oldness to things that are good but not old. Or it refers to things that are good and familiar.
Re:Did English ever have a formal version of "you"? (2011)
by eszed on Thursday December 28, 2023 @12:06AM
(#38790251)
Yup. That's probably a better way to say exactly what I meant. "Good old" can mean something that's good but not old. "Old, good" means both old, and good. Thank you.
I suppose a comma might disambiguate, within a list of qualities, but I think my point stands.