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Rock
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 12:00 am
Post subject: Best of Luck! |
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Does 'best of luck' sound good here and does it mean the
same as 'good luck'?
I'm like millions of Americans who don't stay in one place
for too long. So if you're a marketer trying to keep track
of my whereabouts, best of luck!
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Tony Cooper
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 12:01 am
Post subject: Re: Best of Luck! |
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On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 15:31:27 -0500, Rock <Rock@WFF.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Does 'best of luck' sound good here and does it mean the
same as 'good luck'?
I'm like millions of Americans who don't stay in one place
for too long. So if you're a marketer trying to keep track
of my whereabouts, best of luck!
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No. It means fat chance of keeping track of me. And, "fat chance"
means slim chance. |
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Maria Conlon
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 12:01 am
Post subject: Re: Best of Luck! |
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Rock wrote:
| Quote: | Does 'best of luck' sound good here and does it mean the
same as 'good luck'?
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Depends on how it's said -- sincerely, or with sarcasm.
| Quote: | I'm like millions of Americans who don't stay in one place
for too long. So if you're a marketer trying to keep track
of my whereabouts, best of luck!
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In that circumstance, "lotsa luck" might be said by some people. It not
the same as wishing someone good luck, but is more along the lines of
saying "you won't have much [good] luck in keeping track of me."
Maria Conlon
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Mark Brader
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 12:01 am
Post subject: Re: Best of Luck! |
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| Quote: | Does 'best of luck' sound good here and does it mean the
same as 'good luck'?
I'm like millions of Americans who don't stay in one place
for too long. So if you're a marketer trying to keep track
of my whereabouts, best of luck!
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Yes to both questions.
Tony Cooper writes:
| Quote: | No. It means fat chance of keeping track of me. And, "fat chance"
means slim chance.
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But this is because "best of luck" and "fat chance" are both being
used sarcastically. If "good luck" was used in the original sentence
it would *also* be sarcastic -- this is established by the context --
so the meaning would still be the same as "best of luck".
In another sentence, "good luck" or "best of luck" could be used
with their natural, non-sarcastic meanings, and they would also mean
the same thing.
"Fat chance" is an interesting case, though, because it seems to
*only* be used sarcastically. If you weren't being sarcastic you'd
say there was a "good chance" or something like that.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto "It's the almost correct solutions that
msb@vex.net are the most dangerous..." -- Dave Eisen
My text in this article is in the public domain. |
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Tony Cooper
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 3:00 am
Post subject: Re: Best of Luck! |
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On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 21:58:25 -0000, msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote:
| Quote: | Does 'best of luck' sound good here and does it mean the
same as 'good luck'?
I'm like millions of Americans who don't stay in one place
for too long. So if you're a marketer trying to keep track
of my whereabouts, best of luck!
Yes to both questions.
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I disagree with "Yes" for the second question because of context. The
poster asked if "best of luck" means "good luck *in* the example
sentence. I'm going to go with the assumption that the poster
considers "good luck" to be a sincere wish for favorable results. The
context indicates that favorable results are not in the offing, so the
"best of luck" in this context is the same as saying "Your chances of
keeping track of me are slim to none." There is no indication that
the speaker wants the seeker to have favorable results, so no real
luck is wished.
We ask posters to provide context when they as for the meaning of an
idiom or term. This is a case where no context would result in an
answer of "Best of luck" and "Good Luck" can mean the same thing or
mean that good luck is not something to be expected. But, the poster
gave us context, and the context indicates that the meaning is "fat
chance", "slim chance" or "slim to none".
| Quote: | Tony Cooper writes:
No. It means fat chance of keeping track of me. And, "fat chance"
means slim chance.
But this is because "best of luck" and "fat chance" are both being
used sarcastically. If "good luck" was used in the original sentence
it would *also* be sarcastic -- this is established by the context --
so the meaning would still be the same as "best of luck".
In another sentence, "good luck" or "best of luck" could be used
with their natural, non-sarcastic meanings, and they would also mean
the same thing.
"Fat chance" is an interesting case, though, because it seems to
*only* be used sarcastically. If you weren't being sarcastic you'd
say there was a "good chance" or something like that. |
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Mark Brader
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 3:00 am
Post subject: Re: Best of Luck! |
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Tony Cooper writes:
| Quote: | I disagree with "Yes" for the second question because of context.
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So we agree as to the meaning of the phrase (and have explained it
adequately), but disagree as to whether this requires a yes or no
answer to the poster's question, because there are two ways to
interpret the question. Interesting point. By now I think the
original poster understands what he or she wanted to understand, anyway.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "Professor, I think I have a counterexample."
msb@vex.net | "That's all right; I have two proofs." |
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Tony Cooper
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 3:00 am
Post subject: Re: Best of Luck! |
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On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 00:37:46 -0000, msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote:
| Quote: | Tony Cooper writes:
I disagree with "Yes" for the second question because of context.
So we agree as to the meaning of the phrase (and have explained it
adequately),
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Yes, we agree. I have chosen to reply to the usage in context, and
you have chosen to reply to the usage in general.
| Quote: | but disagree as to whether this requires a yes or no
answer to the poster's question, because there are two ways to
interpret the question. Interesting point. By now I think the
original poster understands what he or she wanted to understand, anyway.
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The poster probably got more than he or she bargained for. All those
letters on the screen can be distilled down to "It depends". |
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