The Polysemy Dynasty

--- by JLS
------ for the GC

---- So Corin Redgrave died. This allows me the opportunity to engage in a topic that we've been discussing with Kramer. Do we need senses? Kramer objects to my use of "the well-known lesbian" to refer to Judith Butler, on account of the fact that, "logically, you are saying she is a lesbian and she is well-known -- which is possibly what you should not be saying". The general morals is that people seldom parse.

It's no surprise to learn from Ruters, then, that Corin couldn't parse either.

From the obituary, online:

"Asked whether he thought it was an artist's place to try to shape politics, Corin Redgrave told Reuters: 'If artists, actors, musicians and writers just felt they ought to be celebrities and shut up, then the world would be a pretty awful place to be.'"

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Let's analyse:



Asked whether he thought it was an artist's place to try to shape politics, he told Reuters at the time:

A: Do you think it is an artist's place to try to shape politics?

B: Well, if artists, actors, musicians and writers just felt they ought to be celebrities and shut up, then the world would be a pretty awful place to be.

The logical form of Redgrave's remark involves:

"a pretty awful place".

--- One reads in Sir Ernest Gowers, "Plain English": "Strictly, 'pretty' is not an adverb, but an adjective. The correct way, then, to qualify an adjective by means of 'pretty' is "prettily"". Alas, his observation, intended for civil servants, has been ignored. And it is ignored by well-known actors -- of the aforementioned "Redgrave" 'dynasty' --. Since there is NO WAY I'll find an obit of Corin that does NOT use the word 'dynasty', I'm using in header of the present (post).

"a pretty awful place to be" -- as opposed to

"a pretty awful place NOT to be"

Kramer may object that while, 'to be', as a tag, IS redundant, it helps the phrase to flow. Kennedy may agree. Etc.

Is this a truth-conditional claim (vide Jones, "Declarative, indicative, descriptive?".

i. If artists, actors, musicians and writers just felt they ought to be celebrities and shut up, then the world would be a pretty awful place to be.

To simplify the account, I will rephrase the question by Reuters, from

"Do you think it is an artist's place to try to shape politics?"

to read:

"Do you think it is YOUR place to try to shape politics" (rude?)

In which case allow me to rephrase his verbose answer:

"If artists, actors, musicians and writers just felt they ought to be celebrities and shut up, then the world would be a pretty awful place to be".

To read:

"If I just felt that I ought to shut up..."

And no, it's not truth-conditional.

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Corin is survived by three sons: Arden, Harvey, and Luke (in no particular order).

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"Dad, how can the place be 'awful and pretty' at the same time"

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"Corin attained some further celebrity in 1995, when, instead of shutting up, he decided to out his own father, the matinee idol." ""I would have outed my mother too, Rachel" -- 'a well-known beauty queen' --. Corin does not labour the point, but the implication (or implicature) seems to be that he couldn't do that because she was ... straight -- 'in ways'".

--

"Dad, how can a place be pretty and awful at the same time"

"Where did you get the idea that it was 'at the same time'?"

"Well, ... [he grabs the newspaper and reads, ceremoniously, "If artists, actors, musicians and writers just felt they ought to be celebrities and shut up, then the world would be a pretty awful place to be.""

"Harv! I didn't mean, 'a pretty AND an awful place'. I meant, in one breath, 'a pretty awful' -- place'. You see?"

Luke intervenes:

"But then, mother (*) says "awfully nice" all the time? Is she queer or what?"

(* -- the well known beauty, Kika Markham)

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"That's different. Mum does not mean 'awful' as in 'awful'. It's an ADVERB!"

"But then, so is pretty", retorted Luke.

Arden, who in the other room, couldn't help joining in. "Can't you bugger off, yous lot?"