Grice and Austin: The Usual Usages

As Kramer recently pointed out to me in his comment to my "Meaning-Naturalism without tears" ("Grice's naturalism without tears", this blog), there's a world of difference between the otiose and ridiculous:

i. That type of spots means that he's got measles, but he hasn't.
(cfr. Jerome, "Love is like the measles: we all have to endure it, but only once", Idle thoughts of an idle fellow).

ii. That type of spots USUALLY means that he, the patient, has got measles, but he hasn't.

For Kramer, the 'usually' usually marks the difference.

The thought occurs to me, and I'm planning to concentrate on Austin and Grice seeing that N. E. Allott has only these two philosophers -- from UK -- as listed in his new "Key terms in pragmatics" -- the third philosopher is the American Kent Bach --, that we should give due attention to phrases like

i. the use of the word.
ii. the usage of the word.
iii. the USUAL use of the word
iv. the usual USAGE of the word.

I claim, with Grice, that they ((i)-(iv)) are all otiose, but Kramer may usually disagree!

Cheers,

JL

Refs. Ryle, "Use, Usage, and Meaning", in G. H. R. Parkinson, Theories of meaning: Oxford readings in philosophy, ed. by G. J. Warnock. (Symp. with South African philosopher Findlay).