"a whole different thing" grammatically correct?
Peter Frank
should it rather be "a wholy different thing"?
Peter
Martin Ambuhl
> Is the expression "a whole different thing" grammatically correct or
> should it rather be "a wholy different thing"?
"a whole dif'ernt thang"
Steve IA
Or, "a whole 'nother thang"
Alan Jones
"Steve IA" <saha...@lassienet.net> wrote in message
news:4191FE7B...@lassienet.net...
As a German enquirer, Peter probably needs at least one straightforward
answer. No, it's not correct. Use "a wholly different thing", though in BrE
it would more usually be "an entirely different thing". The use of "whole"
in this kind of expression is informal, perhaps regional, AmE.
Alan Jones
Daniel James
> Is the expression "a whole different thing" grammatically correct or
> should it rather be "a wholy different thing"?
"Wholly" - but I'm sure that was just a typo.
Is it the thing that's whole or the difference?
If the former it's ... indefinite article, adjective, adjective, noun
- like:
A whole different thing
A whole red apple
Nothing wrong with those, grammatically.
If the latter -- whole meaning "entirely" -- then it's indefinite
article, adverb, adjective, noun - like:
An entirely different thing.
An organically grown apple.
Nothing wrong with either of those.
... but to answer the question:
When people say "a whole different thing" they mean "that whole thing
is different" as much as they mean "that thing is wholly different".
The phrase "a whole different thing" is grammatically correct,
semantically suspect, but idiomatically satisfying.
Cheers,
Daniel.
Robt Englund
Shawn M. Winnie
>>>> Is the expression "a whole different thing" grammatically correct or
>>>> should it rather be "a wholy different thing"?
Martin Ambuhl wrote:
>>> "a whole dif'ernt thang"
"Steve IA" wrote:
>> Or, "a whole 'nother thang"
"Alan Jones" <a...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>As a German enquirer, Peter probably needs at least one straightforward
>answer. No, it's not correct. Use "a wholly different thing", though in BrE
>it would more usually be "an entirely different thing". The use of "whole"
>in this kind of expression is informal, perhaps regional, AmE.
Depending on context, a "whole different thing" may either be a
gramatical error or an attempt (see Martin's and Steve's examples,
above) at comic rusticism.
- Shawn (who is prone to using "a completely different thing" when
serious, "a whole 'nuther kettle o' fish" when not and "another matter
entire" when being falsely literary.)
--
"Learn all you can. Die smart."
- 1987, Anonymous chalk graffito
University of Michigan, East Quad
Raymond S. Wise
news:at25p0pg41n24ic6e...@4ax.com...
> Peter Frank wrote:
> >>>> Is the expression "a whole different thing" grammatically correct or
> >>>> should it rather be "a wholy different thing"?
>
> Martin Ambuhl wrote:
> >>> "a whole dif'ernt thang"
>
> "Steve IA" wrote:
> >> Or, "a whole 'nother thang"
>
> "Alan Jones" <a...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> >As a German enquirer, Peter probably needs at least one straightforward
> >answer. No, it's not correct. Use "a wholly different thing", though in
BrE
> >it would more usually be "an entirely different thing". The use of
"whole"
> >in this kind of expression is informal, perhaps regional, AmE.
>
> Depending on context, a "whole different thing" may either be a
> gramatical error or an attempt (see Martin's and Steve's examples,
> above) at comic rusticism.
>
> - Shawn (who is prone to using "a completely different thing" when
> serious, "a whole 'nuther kettle o' fish" when not and "another matter
> entire" when being falsely literary.)
I think the use of "whole" as an adverb is simply informal American or
British English. I include British English because the *Compact Oxford
English Dictionary* at
http://www.askoxford.com/dictionaries/compact_oed/?view=uk
contains the following entry for "whole":
"*adverb* {informal} entirely; wholly: _a whole new meaning._"
I would expect the editors of that dictionary to have labeled it as US usage
if it was limited to American English.
I couldn't say, however, whether a British speaker would avoid "a whole
different thing." For American speech, I'd say it is informal but
unremarkable. "A wholly different thing." on the other hand, sounds a bit
odd to me. I'd say "an entirely different thing."
--
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com
Mark Perew
Is this the point where some impertinent soul contributes, "And now, for
something completely different?"
--
Mark Perew <pe...@squeep.com>
To the world you may be just one person,
but to one person you may be the world. (Source Unknown)