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eagleloch
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 12:15 am
Post subject: "succeed" is "do what one is trying to do" ? |
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I have seen that the definition of the verb "succeed" is "do what one is
trying to do" in both the dictionaries of Oxford and Longman. And I was
puzzled absolutely.
Why?
In accordance with my feelings, "do what one is trying to do" means "act
freely according to one's will".
Please help me. Thank you very much in advance.
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Don Phillipson
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:13 am
Post subject: Re: "succeed" is "do what one is trying to do" ? |
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"eagleloch" <eagleloch@deletethis.softhome.net> wrote in message
news:2q3ok5Fqs6djU1@uni-berlin.de...
| Quote: | I have seen that the definition of the verb "succeed" is "do what one is
trying to do" in both the dictionaries of Oxford and Longman. And I was
puzzled absolutely.
Why?
In accordance with my feelings, "do what one is trying to do" means "act
freely according to one's will".
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This goes to the heart of dictionary definition.
No matter how sure he is of a meaning, every
lexicographer knows he must describe meanings
clearly suggested in citations, not his own subjective feelings.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada) |
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meirman
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 2:36 am
Post subject: Re: "succeed" is "do what one is trying to do" ? |
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In alt.english.usage on Tue, 7 Sep 2004 02:15:50 +0800 "eagleloch"
<eagleloch@deletethis.softhome.net> posted:
| Quote: | I have seen that the definition of the verb "succeed" is "do what one is
trying to do" in both the dictionaries of Oxford and Longman. And I was
puzzled absolutely.
Why?
In accordance with my feelings, "do what one is trying to do" means "act
freely according to one's will".
Please help me. Thank you very much in advance.
|
I think you have defined "do what one wants to do". Of course one
usually tries to do what want wants to do and wants to do what one
tries to do, they're not quite the same.
If one wants to lie down and he does, has he succeeded? I guess one
could say so, in which case, your sentence that starts "In accordance"
causes no problem. Because you think any time one does what he wants,
he has succeeded.
If you don't think he has succeeded when he lies down, it's probably
because the word succeed implies that more effort was need than the
measly effort needed to lie down. One would have to *try* harder,
which is why the definition provided inclues "trying". There has to
be an actually possibility of failure or there can be no success. If
the bed were five feet high, like a loft bed, the person would have to
try harder to lie down than if the bed were two feet high, like most
beds.
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 20 years
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Martin Ambuhl
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 4:01 am
Post subject: Re: "succeed" is "do what one is trying to do" ? |
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eagleloch wrote:
| Quote: | I have seen that the definition of the verb "succeed" is "do what one is
trying to do" in both the dictionaries of Oxford and Longman. And I was
puzzled absolutely.
Why?
In accordance with my feelings, "do what one is trying to do" means "act
freely according to one's will".
Please help me. Thank you very much in advance.
|
We can't help until we know your problem.
Please identify your dictionaries more clearly. None of
_Concise Oxford Dictionary_ (8th, 9th, 10th, 10th rev, or 11th editions)
_Shorter Oxford English Dictionary_ (3rd, 4th [NSOED], or 5th editions]
_Oxford English Dictionary_ (1st or 2nd editions)
or
_New Oxford American Dictionary_
has the words you claim for the "definition of the verb 'succeed' ... in
... the dictionaries of Oxford..."
Which "dictionaries of Oxford" are you using?
This is what COD11 has to say, if that helps:
succeed
· v.
1 achieve an aim or purpose.
| Quote: | attain fame, wealth, or social status.
2 take over an office, title, etc., from (someone).
(often 'succeed to')
become the new rightful holder of an office, title, etc. |
3 come after and take the place of: /her embarrassment was succeeded by
fear/.
– DERIVATIVES succeeder n. (archaic).
– ORIGIN ME: from OFr. succeder or L. success-, succedere ‘come close
after’. |
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:58 am
Post subject: Re: "succeed" is "do what one is trying to do" ? |
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eagleloch wrote:
| Quote: | I have seen that the definition of the verb "succeed" is "do what one
is trying to do" in both the dictionaries of Oxford and Longman. And
I was puzzled absolutely.
Why?
In accordance with my feelings, "do what one is trying to do" means
"act freely according to one's will".
Please help me. Thank you very much in advance.
|
That isn't in the OED. But if you choose to phrase it like that, it
seems simple to interpret.
A person is trying to do something.
A person does the thing.
Therefore the person has succeeded.
The person doesn't do the thing.
Therefore the person has not succeeded.
Example:
John Kerry and George Bush are both trying to be the next President of
the United States. One will succeed. On won't.
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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