Talk:speak of
Latest comment: 7 years ago by Kiwima in topic RFV discussion: January–May 2017
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"To be worthy or important enough to mention." I just don't get this; how would it work in a sentence? Equinox ◑ 01:07, 19 January 2017 (UTC)
- I think it's probably referring to this sort of usage. Andrew Sheedy (talk) 01:40, 19 January 2017 (UTC)
- Oh, right, like "there were some actors there, but no celebrities to speak of". My feeling is that we should extend to speak of for this, as the to-particle is always present. Equinox ◑ 01:44, 19 January 2017 (UTC)
- I agree. —Granger (talk · contribs) 01:55, 19 January 2017 (UTC)
- Yeah, I think that makes the most sense. Andrew Sheedy (talk) 02:33, 19 January 2017 (UTC)
- Once modified as proposed, I would argue that "widespread use" applies. We just need some usage examples and usage notes showing and explaining that it is always used with a negative (not much t.s.o., nothing t.s.o.) or something like little, small, few. (What is the word for those?) BTW, other dictionaries, including MWOnline, have both “speak of”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. and “to speak of”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.. DCDuring TALK 13:53, 19 January 2017 (UTC)
- It is used (I would guess much less frequently) with a positive e.g. "Even so, that is something to speak of, sheepherder." - Robert Jordan. It feels a bit more SOP when there is a positive, for no good reason I can come up with. In the example sentence it could easily read "Even so, that is something worth mentioning, sheepherder." - TheDaveRoss 16:51, 19 January 2017 (UTC)
- Also "like to speak of" when introducing a topic; definitely SOP but includes the same sense of worthy of discussion. - Amgine/ t·e 16:59, 19 January 2017 (UTC)
- It does feel somewhat more SOP in the positive, but I would still argue that it's idiomatic. Andrew Sheedy (talk) 04:32, 23 January 2017 (UTC)
- It is used (I would guess much less frequently) with a positive e.g. "Even so, that is something to speak of, sheepherder." - Robert Jordan. It feels a bit more SOP when there is a positive, for no good reason I can come up with. In the example sentence it could easily read "Even so, that is something worth mentioning, sheepherder." - TheDaveRoss 16:51, 19 January 2017 (UTC)
- Once modified as proposed, I would argue that "widespread use" applies. We just need some usage examples and usage notes showing and explaining that it is always used with a negative (not much t.s.o., nothing t.s.o.) or something like little, small, few. (What is the word for those?) BTW, other dictionaries, including MWOnline, have both “speak of”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. and “to speak of”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.. DCDuring TALK 13:53, 19 January 2017 (UTC)
RFV-resolved. Deleted under speak of in favor of to speak of. Kiwima (talk) 02:30, 22 May 2017 (UTC)