End of ADS-L Digest - 8 Jan 1998 to 9 Jan 1998 ********************************************** Subject: ADS-L Digest - 9 Jan 1998 to 10 Jan 1998 There is one message totalling 27 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. asbestos...? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 08:43:48 +0000 From: Duane Campbell Subject: Re: asbestos...? At 11:04 PM 1/9/98 -0500, you wrote: > >I agree that this is probably a syntactic blend of the sort you cite, but >a simpler one. I have to assume that it came of "..as x as.." and "..as >best one can..," which, though a bit victorian sounding, does make perfect >sense (cf. also "as best I am able"). To my ear it makes imperfect sense. I might even describe it as (gulp) wrong. When using the construction "as blank as", you are inviting comparison between two things and requiring the use of the comparative adjective or adverb. The superlative is beyond comparison. So you can do something as well as you can or you can do it THE best you can. But to say "as best I can" is as awkward as saying something like, "My car is as best as yours." Duane Campbell dcamp[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]epix.net http://www.epix.net/~dcamp/