RE: Words to that Effect--Probably OT

["Gary Lehmann" <healthquestrecruiter@earthlink.net>]

I just heard Tom Ridge say, "The situation is, is that" while talking to
Judy Woodruff on CNN--
I don't feel so good . . .
Gary

-----Original Message-----
From: jim palmer [mailto:jimp@pobox.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2002 8:23 AM
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Subject: Re: Words to that Effect



> As far as linguistic horrors, how about that "is, is" thing going around?
> My grandmother used to say "flustrated"--ah, the portmanteau . .
> Gary
>

i noticed this a few years ago.
i think it's really interesting that people fail to notice it even when 
they
are
saying it themselves.  language processing occurs mostly subconsciously.
only people who really listen to sound seem to even notice this one.
it seems to me that it comes from the tendency for contraction in spoken
language.
phrases like "the problem is" and "the answer is" become a single word.

i even caught myself doing it once. (gasp)

i think that this tendency has a very interesting effect on musical
improvisation.