Date:    Tue, 19 May 1998 10:58:22 -0700
<br>From:    "A. Vine" <avine[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ENG.SUN.COM>
<br>Subject: Re: "Is it raining out?"
<br>
<br>Gerald Cohen wrote:
<br>>
<br>>   A 5/14/98 ads-l message asked:
<br>>
<br>> >Is it due to regional differences that when asking about the weather some
<br>> >say,"is it raining out?" and others simply, "is it raining?"?  why include
<br>> >the "out"?  it's not raining in.
<br>>
<br>>      ----The "out" here possibly originated in sentences of the type "Is it
<br>> nice out?"  (where "out" = "outside" is justifiably used).   Possible
<br>> answer (with transference of "out" from the preceding question):  "No, it's
<br>> raining out." (where "out" is unnecessary). Then the latter sentence could
<br>> be turned into a question: "Is it raining out?"
<br>>
<br>>      In the arcana of general-linguistic theory is a "Law of Least Effort,"
<br>> according to which  speakers use only the minimal effort necessary to get
<br>> their point across.  This so-called law is contradicted by "out" in "Is it
<br>> raining out?"
<br>>
<br>
<br>
<br>In thinking about this phenomenon, I wonder if there isn't something else at
<br>work here.  Language has sound and rhythm.  If a phrase doesn't sound right to
<br>me, I try to change it so that it does.  Whether something sounds right is
<br>related to a combination of usage I've heard and how a phrase fits in with the
<br>sound and rhythm of the rest of the spoken language.  This was alluded to
<br>indirectly when someone mentioned (I'm sorry, I don't remember who it was) that
<br>"It's raining out" could be in response to "What's it like out?", or something
<br>along that line.
<br>
<br>I'm not limiting this to "Is it raining out?"; I've been looking at the many
<br>phrases with redundant semantics which have been posted to the list.
<br>
<br>An observation only.
<br>Andrea
<br>--
<br>--------------------
<br>bite the wax tadpole
<br>