LINGUIST List 8.33

Fri Jan 17 1997

Sum: _man to do_ parts 1 and 2

Editor for this issue: T. Daniel Seely <seelylinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. hiro-t, Summary: _man to do_ (1)
2. hiro-t, Summary:_man to do_ (2)

Dear Colleagues, 
 About a month ago, I posted a query concerning "adjective + man + 
to do/PP/that-clause" constructions. I asked you to judge the 
acceptabilites of the following sentences. Although there 
are too many sentences to judge, 28 people responded to this 
investigation. I wish to thank all of them who helped me doing 
this judgement test. Percentage is shown in round figures. From the 
results below, I put OK, OK?, ?, ?* and * in each sentence in our 
collocational dictionary, which is shown in ( ). Those who responded
are (Sorry if I drop your name):

 Susan Fitt <suecstr.ed.ac.uk>
 nancyfseiden.com (Nancy Frishberg at home)
 "Robert G. Lee" <rgleebu.edu>
 stephen p spackman <stephenacm.org>
 "Susan G. Guion" <guionsgbiocom1.bioc.uab.edu>
 wehmeyeraall.ufl.edu (Ann Wehmeyer)
 claudia.brugmanstonebow.otago.ac.nz (claudia brugman)
 pbryantnllia.gov.au (Pauline Bryant)
 "Yehuda N. Falk" <msyfalkpluto.mscc.huji.ac.il>
 ragnirenspidernet.it(Michael Robertson)
 Anthony Jukes <A.Jukeslinguistics.unimelb.edu.au>
 Terry_J._Klokeidraven.bc.ca (Terry J. Klokeid)
 Deborah Milam Berkley <dberkleybabel.ling.nwu.edu>
 brodymail.utexas.edu (Michal Brody)
 Allan Wechsler <awechslebbn.com>
 mhansellcarleton.edu (Mark Hansell-Mai Hansheng)
 Bill Fisher <billfjaguar.ncsl.nist.gov>
 Leah Bateman <lmbharlequin.com>
 "Susan G. Guion" <guionsgbiocom1.bioc.uab.edu>
 Steven Schaufele <fcoswsprairienet.org>
 Elsa Lattey <Elsa.Latteyuni-tuebingen.de>
 Ricky and Karen Burdette <burdetteedge.net>
 "Virginia P. Clark" <Virginia.Clarkuvm.edu>
 Gerald B Mathias <mathiashawaii.edu>
 "j. magierowicz" <jennmagsjulian.uwo.ca>
 "Max Wheeler" <maxwcogs.susx.ac.uk>
 lincetLURE.LATROBE.EDU.AU (Catherine Travis)
 Royle Phaedra <roylepMAGELLAN.UMontreal.CA>

 The following are the result of the test, the figures of which are 
shown by percentage. And some comments, if any, from some of the 
respondents.

Questions about "man." Are the following sentences acceptable?
(*)(1) an able man to run fast
 * ? OK
 96% 4% 0%

(*)(2) an unable man to speak
 * ? OK
 96% 4% 0%

(*)(3) an eager man to see the play
 * ? OK
 87% 13% 0%

(?)(4) a sorry man to hear that
 * ? OK
 66% 8% 36%

(*?)(5) a glad man to go there (I'm sorry I have misspelled 
_glad_ for _gald_. Some of the respondents who did not accept
 this use said _gald_ is not comprehensible.)
 * ? OK
 83% 0% 17%

(*)(6) the loath man to speak
 * ? OK
 96% 4% 0%

(OK?)(7) a stupid man to do it
 * ? OK
 35% 0% 76% 
(Curiously, only 4%(=*) and 8%(=?) judged (87)(=a full sentence) doubtful, 
though.)

(OK)(8) an easy man to handle
 * ? OK
 0% 0% 100%

(*)(9) an interested man in politics
 * ? OK
 92% 4% 4% (One who accept this phrase 
said that it means differently from _a man interested in politics_.)

(*)(10) a blue man in the face
 * ? OK
 92% 8% 0%

(*)(11) I am a sure[certain, confident] man that you'll like it
 * ? OK
 92% 8% 0%

(*?)(12) He was a glad[happy, proud] man that he could do it
 * ? OK
 68% 16% 16%

(*?)(13) I'm a worried man to hear about it.$B!!(J
 * ? OK
 60% 26% 14%

(?)(14) I'm not an appropriate man to tip a bus driver. 
 * ? OK
 57% 0% 43%

(*)(15) He is an apt man to get angry. 
 * ? OK
 83% 13% 4%

(OK)(16) He's an awkward man to deal with. 
 * ? OK
 0% 7% 93%

(OK?)(17) Tom was a bad man to look at. (This sentence means 
_Tom was a bad man if he hits those who stare at him_, or 
_It was bad to look at Tom_, rather than _Tom was a bad-looking 
man_.)
 * ? OK
 13% 13% 76%

(OK)(18) Tom was a bad man to drink all the beer. 
 * ? Ok
 4% 4% 92%

(*?)(19) He's an angry[mad] man to hear about it. 
 * ? OK
 68% 13% 19%

(*?)(20) He's an angry man with the news. 
 * ? OK
 82% 4% 14%

(OK)(21) He is a beautiful man to look at. 
 * ? OK
 4% 4% 92%

(OK)(22) He is the best man to do the job. 
 * ? OK
 0% 0% 100%

(OK)(23) Who is the best man to send? 
 * ? OK
 0% 0% 100%

(OK)(24) He is a big man to let me use his car. (_Big_ in this example 
does not mean literal bigness but "excessively kind" or "generous".)
 * ? OK
 4% 8% 88%

(*?)(25) He is a blind man to his own faults. 
 * ? OK
 70% 26% 4%

(OK)(26) He was a brave man to fight a fire. 
 * ? OK
 8% 0% 92%

(OK)(27) He was a brave man to enter the burning building. 
 * ?$B!!(J OK
 4% 0% 96%

(OK)(28) You are a bright man to tell her everything. 
 * ? OK
 4% 8% 88%

(?)(29) He is a busy man with the bank.
 * ? OK
 27% 23% 50%

(OK?)(30) He is a busy man running the bank. 
 * ? OK
 14% 14% 72%

(*)(31) He is a capable man of jealousy, greed, vanity and fear. 
 * ? OK
 100% 0% 0%

(?)(32) He is a careful man in crossing the streets. 
 * ? OK
 18% 32% 50%

(?)(33) He is a careful man to stay on the sidewalk. 
 * ? OK
 18% 36% 46%

(OK)(34) You are a careless man to leave your embrella in the train. 
(I don't know why _careless_ sentence is perfeftly OK, but _careful_ 
sentence is only half OK.)
 * ? OK
 0% 0% 100%

(OK)(35) He is a clever man to make so much money. 
 * ? OK
 0% 0% 100%

(OK?)(36) He is a comfortable man to be with. 
 * ? OK
 8% 13% 79%

(*?)(37) He was a cool man to her passionate advances. 
 * ? OK
 70% 22% 8%

(*?)(38) He is a curious man about other people's affairs. 
 * ? OK
 70% 17% 13%

(*?)(39) He is a curious man to know how the old clock works. 
 * ? OK
 82% 0% 18%

(*?)(40) He was a deaf man to all my prayers. 
 * ? OK
 65% 8% 27%

(*?)(41) He is a delicate man to handle. (This sentence is derived 
from so-called "tough construction," however the accpetablity is 
unexpectedly low, compared with (8)(=easy man to handle).)
 * ? OK
 8% 27% 65%

(*?)(42) John is a familiar man with Mr. Green. 
 * ? OK
 74% 8% 18%

(*)(43) John is a familiar man with how the machine works. 
("100% unacceptable" may come from an awkward wording 
_with how S V..._.")
 * ? OK
 100% 0% 0%

(?)(44) John is a famous man for playing Hamlet. (This example is 
judge very clearly between * and OK. I don't know why and how 
I will teach my students.)
 * ? OK
 39% 22% 39%

(to be continued)->_manto do_(2)

Hiroaki Tanaka

Associate Professor,
1-1, Minamijousanjima-cho, Tokushima, 770, Japan
Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences,
Tokushima University, Japan

hiro-tias.tokushima-u.ac.jp

Dear Colleague,
 Since my summary was too long to send by our mail facilities,
I divide it into two parts. The below are the sencond hald:

(*?)(46) He is a frank man with me about this matter. 
 * ? OK
 65% 13% 22%

(*?)(47) He's a very free man with his money. (Although 82% said the 
example is OK, they might interpret it as _He's a very free man 
who has a lot of money_, not He's a man free with his money_.)
 * ? OK
 18% 4% 82%

(*)(48) He wishes he were a free man of her. 
 * ? OK
 92% 0% 8%

(*?)(49) Don't be a fresh man with the new secretary. 
 * ? OK
 65% 13% 22%

(?)(50) He is a fresh man from the country. (31% who said OK does not 
take this example as _He's a man fresh from(=who has just come from) 
the country_, rather _He is a very active/fresh/new person who is 
from/ whose hometown is the country_.) 
 * ? OK
 52% 17% 31%

(?)(51) Bill is a very friendly man with Tom. 
 * ? OK
 40% 30% 30%

(?)(52) He is a good man at languages. 
 * ? OK
 40% 17% 43%

(OK)(53) He is a good man to be with. 
 * ? OK
 4% 0% 96%

(?)(54) He is a good man to meet her again. 
 * ? OK
 22% 26% 52%

(*)(55) We met a guilty man of murder. 
 * ? OK
 100% 0% 0%

(OK)(56) We met a man guilty of murder. (The respondents may react 
like this pair(55) and (56) in all the other example, if they look 
at the contrastive preposed and postposed adjectives.)
 * ? OK
 0% 0% 100%

(*)(57) We saw a hot man about the delay. (8% who said OK may have 
interpreted this example _We saw a hot-bodied man who came late_., 
rather than _a man hot about the delay_. The point is which meaning
 of _hot_ is chosen as a default interpretation. The accptability of 
the sentence depends on the first meaning the informants hit upon.)
 * ? OK
 78% 14% 8%

(*)(58) We know a hungry man for a friend. 
 * ? OK
 92% 8% 0%

(*)(59) He is an ill man to please. (I quote this example from 
_Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (9th edition), meaning 
_He is a difficult man to please_. But most of the respondents 
does not take _an ill man_ as _a difficult man_. It may be rather 
old-fashioned.)
 * ? OK
 88% 4% 8%

(OK)(60) You are a very important man to[for] the city of Chicago. 
 * ? OK
 8% 0% 92%

(*)(61) The truck driver proved to be an innocent man of manslaughter. 
 * ? OK
 100% 0% 0%

(OK?)(62) We know an interesting man to talk to about politics. 
 * ? OK
 13% 8% 79%

(*)(63) Jane knows a very jealous man of his girlfriend. 
 * ? OK
 100% 0% 0%

(OK)(64) John is a kind man to help her. (In this example, to-infinitive
 shows the speaker's surprise at John's helping her. All of the 
to-infinitives except the ones derived from "tough construction" 
seem to have this potentiality. However, the informants does not read 
it into the sentence if the adjective is hard to be interpreted 
emotionally.)
 * ? OK
 0% 0% 100%

(*)(65) John was a very lonely man for his wife. 
 * ? OK
 79% 13% 8%

(OK)(66) He is a lovely man to work with. 
 * ? OK
 0% 0% 100%

(?)(67) Mr. Green was the next man to me. 
 * ? OK
 48% 4% 48%

(OK)(68) He is a nice man to talk to. 
 * ? OK
 0% 0% 100%

(?)(69) Be a nice man to your sister. 
 * ? OK
 34% 26% 40%

(?)(70) He is a very particular man about having his breakfast at 
exactly eight o'clock. 
 * ? OK
 26% 13% 61%

(*?)(71) John is a poor man at[in] mathematics. 
 * ? OK
 52% 17% 31%

(OK)(72) Tom is a popular man with girls. 
 * ? OK
 13% 8% 79%

(?)(73) He is a quick man to respond to a call for help. (My grammatical
 mistake: *call for the help. So, 40% who said NO may have judged the 
unacceptable _call for the help_. I'm sorry.)
 * ? OK
 40% 30% 30%

(*)(74) He is a regular man in visits. 
 * ? OK
 75% 17% 8%

(*?)(75) He was a very rude man about my paintings. 
 * ? OK
 43% 39% 18%

(*?)(76) I am a sad man to leave you. 
 * ? OK
 52% 22% 26%

(?)(77) He is still a very sad man about his sister's death.
 * ? OK
 48% 4% 48%

(*?)(78) He is a serious man about becoming an actor. 
 * ? OK
 65% 13% 22%

(OK?)(79) He is a sharp man at making a bargain. 
 * ? OK
 30% 2% 68%

(?)(80) He is a sick man with flu. (This example is completely OK if 
intended _He is a sick man, say a cancer, with/having the flu.)
 * ? OK
 43% 17% 40%

(OK)(81) He is a silly man to meet her again. 
 * ? OK
 8% 8% 84%

(OK?)(82) He is a simple man about money matters. 
 * ? OK
 26% 22% 52%

(OK?)(83) He was a very slow man to offer help. 
 * ? OK
 39% 13% 48%

(OK)(84) He was a smart man to leave. 
 * ? OK
 4% 4% 92%

(*?)(85) The new doctor turned out to be a strange man 
to the new machinery. 
 * ? OK
 83% 4% 13%

(?)(86) He is a strong man in chmistry. 
 * ? OK
 52% 18% 30%

(OK)(87) He is a stupid man to meet her again. 
 * ? OK
 4% 8% 88%

(?)(88) He promised to be a true man to her. 
 * ? OK
 48% 8% 44%

(?)(89) Be a useful man to others. 
 * ? OK
 56% 8% 36%

(?)(90) He is a weak man at mathematics. 
 * $B!!!!!!!!!!(J? OK
 56% 13% 31%

(OK)(91) He was a wise man to remain silent. 
 * ? OK
 8% 0% 92%

(OK?)(92) John was a wonderful man to do that for me. 
 * ? OK
 22% 13% 65%

(OK)(93) John was a wonderful man to look at. 
 * ? OK
 70% 26% 4%

(?)(94) He was not a worthy man of the honor given to him. 
 * ? OK
 48% 13% 39%

(*)(95) He is a worthy man to have a place in the team. 
 * ? OK
 92% 4% 4%

 
 Thank you very much for the investigation. The Above results are 
of very much help to me. If you have further comments on this problem, 
please inform me of anything you can think of.

Best Wishes,

Hiroaki Tanaka

Associate Professor,
1-1, Minamijousanjima-cho, Tokushima, 770, Japan
Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences,
Tokushima University, Japan

hiro-tias.tokushima-u.ac.jp