| Author |
Message |
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 7:02 am
Post subject: What does "set to emerge" mean? |
|
|
Hi,
I have a question about "set to emerge" of the following sentence. My
dictionary cannot help me out. Could you explain that to me?
Thanks in advance
Focus magazine said Wolfsburg looked set to emerge as the assembly
plant for the model but staff would then face wage cuts of some 20
percent and longer working hours.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
ray o'hara
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 7:02 am
Post subject: Re: What does "set to emerge" mean? |
|
|
<freelait2000@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1125800339.006883.231300@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Hi,
I have a question about "set to emerge" of the following sentence. My
dictionary cannot help me out. Could you explain that to me?
Thanks in advance
|
"Ready to become" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Don Phillipson
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 6:11 pm
Post subject: Re: What does "set to emerge" mean? |
|
|
<freelait2000@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1125800339.006883.231300@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | I have a question about "set to emerge" of the following sentence. My
dictionary cannot help me out. Could you explain that to me?
|
The root phrase is simply "set to" = prepared to
meaning that a person or group is ready to do
something but has not yet actually done it (here "emerge.")
This use of Set To is common in American newspapers,
perhaps because it is shorter (uses fewer characters)
i.e. was first used for headlines, which seek to save
space. If the Russian army was ready to invade
Hungary but had not yet actually done so, the
headline would read REDS SET TO INVADE
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
meirman
Guest
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 12:42 am
Post subject: Re: What does "set to emerge" mean? |
|
|
In alt.english.usage on 3 Sep 2005 19:18:59 -0700
freelait2000@yahoo.com posted:
| Quote: | Hi,
I have a question about "set to emerge" of the following sentence. My
dictionary cannot help me out. Could you explain that to me?
Thanks in advance
Focus magazine said Wolfsburg looked set to emerge as the assembly
plant for the model but staff would then face wage cuts of some 20
percent and longer working hours.
|
Don is right, I'm pretty sure, about the early use of "set to" in
headlines.
A lot of factors converge here to make this a difficult sentence.
A comma after "model" might help. With two or three long clauses like
these, I think it should be there.
Of course it means the Wolfsburg factory, but it calls it "Wolfsburg"
for short.
And Wolfsburg probably does look any different now than when it wasn't
set to emerge, unless they have already closed an assembly line to
make room for this model. So "look" is probably metaphoric** and
doesn't involve any actual vision.
And Wolfsburg probably isn't "set" in any way. It's company
executives who are ready to declare that it is the place where the new
model will be made. Wolfsburg probably looks like it usually does.
I haven't checked but this meaning of "set" may come from "ready, set,
go". At "ready" or maybe "set", the racer puts himself, sets himself,
in position to go. For a runner that is one leg bent, fingers on the
ground. He is set to go. Set is a past participle here.
"
**I guess the metaphor is by now a long accepted meaning, but I think
it might confuse some, especially ESL types.
s/ meirman
Posting from alt.english.usage
--
My English in this reply is colloquial, and may not always use full sentences.
For gosh sakes, when you ask a question, say what sort of English you are asking about.
When you give an answer, say in what part of the world you think your answer is valid.
If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Town NW of Pittsburgh Pa. 0 to 10 years | Brooklyn 12 years
Indianapolis 7 years | Now in
Chicago 6 years | Baltimore 22 years |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Odysseus
Guest
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:16 am
Post subject: Re: What does "set to emerge" mean? |
|
|
Don Phillipson wrote:
| Quote: |
freelait2000@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1125800339.006883.231300@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
I have a question about "set to emerge" of the following sentence. My
dictionary cannot help me out. Could you explain that to me?
The root phrase is simply "set to" = prepared to
meaning that a person or group is ready to do
something but has not yet actually done it (here "emerge.")
|
I wouldn't consider "to" alone to be part of the expression; here
it's just a particle that's part of the infinitive form of the
following verb. Perhaps "set + infinitive verb" would be a better
model -- but merely noting that this usage of "set" means "ready" (as
you did), "prepared", or the like would suffice. The additional verb
is not always present: "Have you packed for your trip yet?" "Yes, I'm
(all) set."
Seeing "set to" by itself I think of the phrasal verb, pronounced
with the emphasis on "to" (here functioning more like a preposition
with an implied object), that means something like "get involved", in
e.g. eating a meal or fighting.
--
Odysseus |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| |
FAQ
Memberlist
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in