The Grip of a Vyse

Americans spell it.
And therefore killing Grice's charm:

"He is caught in the grip of a vice"

Now, Grice says, in one of his fastidious modes:

'a vice may well be something like a sin, or alternatively, something that good carpenters use'.

But NO!

One comes from 'vitium', Latin for 'sin'. The other comes from 'vitis', a screw. And while screwing is sinful in some quarters... I don't think Grice who lived, after all in Californication County would have cared!

So perhaps Tim W's "meany" -- when referring to Zwicky's treatment of Grice's "Meaning" should do the duty. I have NOT examined these etymologies.

We know that 'mean' does come from Indo-European 'm-n', as in Latin, mentare, mentire. The first meaning 'mean', the second meaning 'lie'.

But what about Lennon's "Mean Mr. Mustard"?

So here, I would claim, we could have rephrased, Grice's self-application of the modificated Occam razor (razor cut):

"Is this double USE of 'mean'
just like the double use of 'vice'?"

"Don't think so".

"Rather, one is pretty much inclined"

-- indeed, so much that one falls.

"to say that 'vice' and 'vice' are
two different things which just _happen_
to be written _NOW_ and pronounced _NOW_
the same"

"So I propose instead,
this double use of 'mean'
just like the double use of 'mean'
to mean, doubly, sometimes
what I mean by 'mean'
and sometimes not, but what
Lennon meant when he wrote
Mean Mr. Mustard?"

Mean Mister Mustard sleeps in the park
Shaves in the dark trying to save paper
Sleeps in a hole in the road
Saving up to buy some clothes
Keeps a ten bob note up his nose
Such a mean old man
Such a mean old man

His sister Pam works in a shop
She never stops, she's a go-getter
Takes him out to look at the queen
Only place that he's ever been
Always shouts out something obscene
Such a dirty old man
Such a dirty old man.

Cheers,

JL