James: it's borne in upon me
Marius Hancu
"it's borne in upon me"
Does this mean
"I realize?"
or
"this comes in to my attention?"
---
[Strether tries to find out with Miss Barrace what other surprising
moves could come from his old friend, now a foe, Waymarsh]
He continued to make it out as for their common entertainment. "He may
have one, as it were, up his sleeve; yet it's borne in upon me that if
he had—"
"He wouldn't"—she quite understood—"have taken all THIS trouble? I
dare say not,[...]
Henry James, The Ambassadors, p. 292
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/432/432-h/432-h.htm
-----
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu
Cheryl
> Hello:
>
> "it's borne in upon me"
>
> Does this mean
> "I realize?"
> or
> "this comes in to my attention?"
>
> ---
> [Strether tries to find out with Miss Barrace what other surprising
> moves could come from his old friend, now a foe, Waymarsh]
>
> He continued to make it out as for their common entertainment. "He may
> have one, as it were, up his sleeve; yet it's borne in upon me that if
>
> "He wouldn't"�she quite understood�"have taken all THIS trouble? I
> dare say not,[...]
>
> Henry James, The Ambassadors, p. 292
> http://www.gutenberg.org/files/432/432-h/432-h.htm
> -----
> --
> Thanks.
> Marius Hancu
They're almost the same, aren't they? I'd leave out the 'in'; 'I realize
it' or 'it comes to my attention'. I think 'borne in on/upon me' implies
that whatever it is isn't obvious and has been brought to the speaker's
attention with some force.
--
Cheryl
Marius Hancu
> > "it's borne in upon me"
>
> > Does this mean
> > "I realize?"
> > or
> > "this comes in to my attention?"
>
> > ---
> > [Strether tries to find out with Miss Barrace what other surprising
> > moves could come from his old friend, now a foe, Waymarsh]
>
> > He continued to make it out as for their common entertainment. "He may
> > have one, as it were, up his sleeve; yet it's borne in upon me that if
> > he had—"
>
> > "He wouldn't"—she quite understood—"have taken all THIS trouble? I
> > dare say not,[...]
>
> I think 'borne in on/upon me' implies
> that whatever it is isn't obvious and has been brought to the speaker's
> attention with some force.
That's more precise, thus thanks.
Marius Hancu
Peter Duncanson (BrE)
<marius...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Hello:
>
>"it's borne in upon me"
>
>Does this mean
>"I realize?"
>or
>"this comes in to my attention?"
>
Rather stronger than that. It's more like "this has forced itself on my
attention" or "...into my consciouness".
OED says:
to bear in, pass. to be borne in: to be forced in, impressed with
force upon (the mind)
>---
>[Strether tries to find out with Miss Barrace what other surprising
>moves could come from his old friend, now a foe, Waymarsh]
>
>He continued to make it out as for their common entertainment. "He may
>have one, as it were, up his sleeve; yet it's borne in upon me that if
>he had�"
>
>"He wouldn't"�she quite understood�"have taken all THIS trouble? I
>dare say not,[...]
>
>Henry James, The Ambassadors, p. 292
>http://www.gutenberg.org/files/432/432-h/432-h.htm
>-----
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)
Marius Hancu
wrote:
> >"it's borne in upon me"
>
> >Does this mean
> >"I realize?"
> >or
> >"this comes in to my attention?"
>
> Rather stronger than that. It's more like "this has forced itself on my
> attention" or "...into my consciouness".
>
> OED says:
>
> to bear in, pass. to be borne in: to be forced in, impressed with
> force upon (the mind)
Thanks for insisting on that.
Marius Hancu
Jonathan Morton
news:1b0ce401-10a9-427d...@z41g2000yqz.googlegroups.com...
The best-known use of the expression is perhaps the limerick on
predestination:
There was a young man who said "Damn!
It is borne in on me that I am
A vehicle that moves
In predestinate grooves -
I'm not even a bus, I'm a tram".
Regards
Jonathan
Jerry Friedman
<jonathan.mortonbutignorethisp...@btinternet.com> wrote:
[borne in]
> The best-known use of the expression is perhaps the limerick on
> predestination:
>
> There was a young man who said "Damn!
> It is borne in on me that I am
> A vehicle that moves
> In predestinate grooves -
> I'm not even a bus, I'm a tram".
I don't pronounce the "h" in "vehicle", but I hadn't thought it could
be only two syllables. Is that usual in Britain? Close enough for
limericks? Or is the "-hic-" accented?
--
Jerry Friedman
Marius Hancu
<jonathan.mortonbutignorethisp...@btinternet.com> wrote:
> > On Nov 25, 10:25 am, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <m...@peterduncanson.net>
> > wrote:
>
> >> >"it's borne in upon me"
>
> >> >Does this mean
> >> >"I realize?"
> >> >or
> >> >"this comes in to my attention?"
>
> >> Rather stronger than that. It's more like "this has forced itself on my
> >> attention" or "...into my consciouness".
>
> >> OED says:
>
> >> to bear in, pass. to be borne in: to be forced in, impressed with
> >> force upon (the mind)
>
> > Thanks for insisting on that.
>
> The best-known use of the expression is perhaps the limerick on
> predestination:
>
> There was a young man who said "Damn!
> It is borne in on me that I am
> A vehicle that moves
> In predestinate grooves -
> I'm not even a bus, I'm a tram".
That's quite a depth to it, didn't know it exists as much in
limericks:-)
Marius Hancu
Jonathan Morton
news:7c0308f9-0c23-4f99...@h40g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
In BrE the "-hic-" is not accented - except when attempting Sheriff J. W.
Pepper/Clifton James imitations.
It isn't really two syllables, but the middle syllable is almost swallowed -
so close enough for a limerick, as you say.
Regards
Jonathan
Jerry Friedman
<jonathan.mortonbutignorethisp...@btinternet.com> wrote:
> "Jerry Friedman" <jerry_fried...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
Got it, thanks. It's an amphibrach and a half.
--
Jerry Friedman
James Silverton
I hate to spoil this ingenious argument but I always recall the part of
the limerick as "An engine that move/In predestinate grooves"
--
James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland
Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not