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 #2 (permalink) Sat May 10, 2008 15:18 pm Totally spies? |
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Hello Nessie,
In mildly humorous usage, adverbs can modify noun phrases. The mild humour lies in the unexpectedness of the collocation.
For instance, you often hear "That's so X!", where X is a noun or pronoun phrase, e.g.
1. That's so you = that's so (characteristic of) you.
2. That's so 2007 = that's so (like something I might have encountered in) 2007 = that's so old-fashioned.
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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| #3 (permalink) Sat May 10, 2008 16:33 pm Totally spies? |
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Thank you very much, MrP :)
Nevertheless, since I'm not a native speaker, I'm not sure I can understand "totally spies" in a correct humorous way, so could you please specify it?
Many thanks in advance
Nessie :)
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 Nessie
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| #4 (permalink) Sat May 10, 2008 23:53 pm Totally spies? |
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Hello Nessie,
I don't know the cartoon, unfortunately; but "totally spies" says to me "being spies in a particularly thorough way".
But maybe someone who has seen the cartoon will stop by and let us know!
All the best,
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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| #5 (permalink) Sun May 11, 2008 17:54 pm Totally spies? |
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Yea, I also hope so, MrP. But many thanks for your helpful idea anyway :)
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Nessie
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| #6 (permalink) Sun May 11, 2008 22:43 pm Totally spies? |
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The Wikipedia entry calls them "superspies"; to be a superspy, you would have to be totally a spy.
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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| #7 (permalink) Mon May 12, 2008 15:09 pm Totally spies? |
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| MrPedantic wrote: |
Hello Nessie,
I don't know the cartoon, unfortunately; but "totally spies" says to me "being spies in a particularly thorough way".
But maybe someone who has seen the cartoon will stop by and let us know!
All the best,
MrP |
I have to admit this cartoon was one of my guilty pleasures in the past and I had an impression that the girls were having fun (being spies), also, that there was a "totally cool" element in being a real spy.
"Cool" might be the keyword here. Just my two cents. :wink: |
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NinaZara
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| #8 (permalink) Mon May 12, 2008 15:39 pm Totally spies? |
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Here's more "totally + noun".
1. Lose the remote control, and enjoy television as you never have before at Saturday's grand opening of Totally TV, a collection of animated art from Walt Disney TV productions, at Houston's Fine Toon Cartoon Art Gallery.
Title: HITS OF THE WEEKEND;HERE'S WHAT'S WORTH CHECKING OUT;
Author: Staff
Source: Houston Chronicle
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2. But back to basics was hardly boring. Barbie grew more hair and became the super-popular Totally Hair Barbie. She dressed up in Bob Mackie designer gowns, twice.
Title: Reinventing ... toyland / Making money is child''s play
Author: Ellen Neuborne
Source: USA Today
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americancorpus.org |
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Molly
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| #9 (permalink) Mon May 12, 2008 16:13 pm Totally spies? |
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Hi Nessie,
I have never heard of your spies, either. That doesn't really matter because 'totally'+ a noun simply means 'all about and nothing but' concerning the noun you use.
Alan
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Alan
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| #10 (permalink) Wed May 14, 2008 2:56 am Totally spies? |
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Thanks a lot for your clear explaination, (Grandpa) Alan :P
I got it now. By the way, "Totally spies" is a cartoon (mostly for children and teenagers) in which three teenage girls work as undercover spies :)
Just one more thing: I assume the use of "totally" this way is informal, isn't it?
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| Prepositions in or on | Do you guys ever say 'Have I really got to go?' |
