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Redouble

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numerodix
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 Message 1 of 8
24 August 2009 at 2:36pm | IP Logged 
Isn't that a stupid word?

- He redoubled his efforts.
- Oh, so it's now 4 times the original effort?
- No, twice.
- ...
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Sennin
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 Message 2 of 8
24 August 2009 at 3:31pm | IP Logged 
What about "re-quadruple"? Is this 8x times the same effort or just 4x? ^_^
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Lizzern
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 Message 3 of 8
24 August 2009 at 3:46pm | IP Logged 
Yes.

"Could care less" is also kind of a stupid thing to say... As it completely contradicts your own point.

Anyone else?

Liz
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ExtraLean
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 Message 4 of 8
24 August 2009 at 3:58pm | IP Logged 
I always thought that it was: 'I couldn't care less', but I shall redouble my efforts to remember if that is true or not.

Edited by ExtraLean on 24 August 2009 at 3:59pm

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numerodix
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 Message 5 of 8
24 August 2009 at 4:01pm | IP Logged 
ExtraLean wrote:
I always thought that it was: 'I couldn't care less', but I shall redouble my efforts to remember if that is true or not.


That's the funny thing. "I couldn't care less" and "I could care less" are used interchangeably.
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Sennin
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 Message 6 of 8
24 August 2009 at 4:40pm | IP Logged 
ExtraLean wrote:
I always thought that it was: 'I couldn't care less', but I shall redouble my efforts to remember if that is true or not.


I also know it as "I couldn't care less". The "could care less" version could simply be the result of omitting the negation. Somewhat like in the French "ne <verb> pas", where 'ne' is optional in colloquial speech.

Edited by Sennin on 24 August 2009 at 4:45pm

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JW
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 Message 7 of 8
10 September 2009 at 6:02am | IP Logged 
numerodix wrote:
Isn't that a stupid word?

- He redoubled his efforts.
- Oh, so it's now 4 times the original effort?
- No, twice.
- ...

You can blame French for that one. The etymology is from the French “redoubler” which comes from “rendre double” meaning to multiple by two. Thus redouble is actually a synonym of double just as in French redoubler and doubler are synonyms.

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Bao
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 Message 8 of 8
11 September 2009 at 1:30am | IP Logged 
And reduplicate doesn't strike a nerve?


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