Lexical and Grammatical Lexical and Grammatical FormForm

Lexical FormLexical Form

Lexis and AnomalyLexis and Anomaly

The vocabulary of FEIs has a distribution The vocabulary of FEIs has a distribution that is different from that of the lexicon in that is different from that of the lexicon in general.general.

Some words (and so concepts, images, Some words (and so concepts, images, structures) feature strongly in FEIs , or structures) feature strongly in FEIs , or occur relatively more often in FEIs than in occur relatively more often in FEIs than in freely formed text.freely formed text.

Cranberry CollocationsCranberry Collocations

There are a few lexemes that never occur There are a few lexemes that never occur outside FEIs – cranberry collocations.outside FEIs – cranberry collocations.

Several groups of cranberry collocationsSeveral groups of cranberry collocations

Rare fossil words, or words Rare fossil words, or words borrowed from other languagesborrowed from other languages

run run amokamokin in cahootscahoots with someone with someoneby by dintdint of something of somethingin high in high dudgeondudgeonin fine/good in fine/good fettlefettleto and to and frofrogristgrist to one’s mill to one’s millgo/be go/be haywirehaywireput the put the kiboshkibosh on something on somethingout of out of kilterkilter/off /off kilterkilter

Rare fossil words, or words Rare fossil words, or words borrowed from other languagesborrowed from other languages

kithkith and kin and kinat at loggerheadsloggerheadssleight sleight of handof handcock a cock a snooksnookspic(k)spic(k) and span and spanon on tenterhookstenterhooksin a in a tricetricetake take umbrageumbragewend wend one’s way somewhereone’s way somewhereof of yoreyore

Lexemes unique to the FEI but homographic Lexemes unique to the FEI but homographic with other independent itemswith other independent items

be at someone’s be at someone’s beckbeck and call and callto to bootbootcome a come a croppercroppercurrycurry a favour a favourhuehue and cry and cryleave someone in the leave someone in the lurchlurchqueerqueer someone’s pitch someone’s pitch(by) the (by) the scruffscruff of someone’s neck of someone’s neckbe no be no slouchslouch (at something) (at something)have no have no trucktruck with someone/something with someone/something

Cranberry items have compositional or Cranberry items have compositional or familiar morphemic structure, but occur only familiar morphemic structure, but occur only

in FEIsin FEIsin in accordanceaccordance with something with somethingmake make amendsamendsat at gunpointgunpointirrespectiveirrespective of ofat/from the at/from the outsetoutsetin in retrospectretrospectgive someone the give someone the run-aroundrun-aroundin in triplicatetriplicateunbeknownstunbeknownst to someone to someone

FEIs, grammatical in function, containing FEIs, grammatical in function, containing unanalysable or unique itemsunanalysable or unique items

on someone’s on someone’s behalfbehalf, on , on behalfbehalf of of someonesomeone

for someone’s/something’s for someone’s/something’s sakesake, for the , for the sakesake of someone/something of someone/something

in someone’s in someone’s steadstead

Cranberry CollocationsCranberry Collocations

TheThe description description above above is synchronic. However, is synchronic. However, diachronically, these FEIs may be well formed. diachronically, these FEIs may be well formed. For example, For example, dintdint in in by dint of somethingby dint of something meant meant ‘a blow’, or ‘the dealing of blows’, then ‘dent’ or ‘a blow’, or ‘the dealing of blows’, then ‘dent’ or ‘impression’, but these meanings have become ‘impression’, but these meanings have become obsolete in many varieties of English (although obsolete in many varieties of English (although the latter survives in Australian English)the latter survives in Australian English)Cranberry collocations can be compared to Cranberry collocations can be compared to foreign phrases, which are borrowed wholesale foreign phrases, which are borrowed wholesale into English but retain their original wording and into English but retain their original wording and alien syntagmatic structurealien syntagmatic structure

Ill-formed FEIsIll-formed FEIs

FEIs that cannot be parsed according to FEIs that cannot be parsed according to normal syntactic rules are non-normal syntactic rules are non-compositional: they are the compositional: they are the grammatical grammatical equivalents to cranberry FEIs. equivalents to cranberry FEIs. DiachronicallyDiachronically, they may be fossils of , they may be fossils of earlier uses, but they are aberrant earlier uses, but they are aberrant synchronicallysynchronically. There are several groups . There are several groups of of ill-formed FEIsill-formed FEIs

Ill-formedness arises from odd phrase Ill-formedness arises from odd phrase structures, ellipsis, inflections, or from an structures, ellipsis, inflections, or from an

archaic moodarchaic moodat allat allbe that as it maybe that as it maybe seeing yoube seeing youby and byby and byby and largeby and largecome to think of itcome to think of itcome what maycome what maycuriouser and curiousercuriouser and curiouserdog eat dogdog eat dogevery which wayevery which wayfar be it from mefar be it from megive someone what forgive someone what forgo for brokego for brokehard done byhard done byhow comehow come

Ill-formedness arises from odd phrase Ill-formedness arises from odd phrase structures, ellipsis, inflections, or from an structures, ellipsis, inflections, or from an

archaic moodarchaic moodhow do you do?how do you do?I’ll be blowedI’ll be blowedlet alone ____let alone ____mind youmind youmore fool youmore fool youneedless to sayneedless to sayplease Godplease Godpoint takenpoint takenquote unquotequote unquoteshame on ___shame on ___so long!so long!to do withto do withto each X’s ownto each X’s ownto the manner bornto the manner bornwrit largewrit large

FEIs that contain strange uses of FEIs that contain strange uses of wordclasseswordclasses

A non-nominal word or sense may be used as a noun, or an adjective as an A non-nominal word or sense may be used as a noun, or an adjective as an adverb:adverb:all of a suddenall of a suddenat the readyat the readybeyond comparebeyond comparedo the dirty on someonedo the dirty on someonefor freefor freehave a down on someonehave a down on someoneifs and butsifs and butsin briefin briefin generalin generalin the knowin the knowof lateof lateof oldof oldonce in a whileonce in a while

FEIs that contain strange uses of FEIs that contain strange uses of wordclasseswordclasses

on the alerton the alerton the makeon the makeon the up and upon the up and upplay fairplay fairstand easystand easystate the obviousstate the obviousswear blindswear blindthe back of beyondthe back of beyondthe dos and don’tsthe dos and don’tsthe ins and outsthe ins and outsthe whys and whereforesthe whys and whereforesthrough thick and thinthrough thick and thintrip the light fantastictrip the light fantastic

One or more component words in an FEI One or more component words in an FEI deviate from their usual syntactic behaviourdeviate from their usual syntactic behaviour

Countable nouns may be used without determiners in the singular, Countable nouns may be used without determiners in the singular, or verbs may be used in aberrant tranisitivity patterns:or verbs may be used in aberrant tranisitivity patterns:bag and baggagebag and baggagebring someone to bookbring someone to book(by) word of mouth(by) word of mouthcome a croppercome a cropperfight tooth and nailfight tooth and nail(not) go a bundle on something(not) go a bundle on somethinggo (the) whole hoggo (the) whole hogin all weathersin all weathersin casein casekeep body and soul togetherkeep body and soul togetherput pen to paperput pen to paper

One or more component words in an FEI One or more component words in an FEI deviate from their usual syntactic behaviourdeviate from their usual syntactic behaviour

rain cats and dogsrain cats and dogssweat bloodsweat bloodstand someone in good steadstand someone in good steadstay putstay putto handto handturn and turn aboutturn and turn aboutunder lock and keyunder lock and keyto dateto date

Structures are correct syntagmatically but Structures are correct syntagmatically but not paradigmaticallynot paradigmatically

The valencies and collocational well-formedness are The valencies and collocational well-formedness are disturbed; some FEIs are literally impossible, and the disturbed; some FEIs are literally impossible, and the grammar reinforces their violation of truth conditions:grammar reinforces their violation of truth conditions:clap eyes on someoneclap eyes on someonedo a runnerdo a runnerlive a lielive a lielook daggers at someonelook daggers at someonemake heavy weather of somethingmake heavy weather of somethingput one’s best foot forwardput one’s best foot forwardturn turtleturn turtlewhen push comes to shovewhen push comes to shove

Grammatical Types and Grammatical Types and StructuresStructures

Predicate FEIsPredicate FEIs

They consist of clause elements, and thus can be said to They consist of clause elements, and thus can be said to have the syntactic structure of clauses. The main have the syntactic structure of clauses. The main elements are elements are subjectsubject and and verbverb and they are obligatory, and they are obligatory, while other elements vary (while other elements vary (direct and indirect object, direct and indirect object, adjunct, complement, catenated predicator, object adjunct, complement, catenated predicator, object complementcomplement). For example:). For example:X admits defeatX admits defeatX takes Y to taskX takes Y to taskThe coast is clearThe coast is clearX teaches Y a lessonX teaches Y a lessonAlarm bells ringAlarm bells ringSparks flySparks fly

Nominal groupsNominal groups

a blessing in disguisea blessing in disguise

a flash in the pana flash in the pan

a foregone conclusiona foregone conclusion

ivory towerivory tower

a world of differencea world of difference

the salt of the earththe salt of the earth

Trojan horseTrojan horse

Predicative adjectival groupsPredicative adjectival groups

They occur either postnominally or after a They occur either postnominally or after a copula; they are actually adjective phrases that copula; they are actually adjective phrases that are used predicatively:are used predicatively:alive and kickingalive and kickingbone idlebone idlecut and triedcut and trieddressed to killdressed to killfree and easyfree and easylong in the toothlong in the toothwet behind the earswet behind the earswide awakewide awake

ModifiersModifiers

They function in prenominal position, i.e. they They function in prenominal position, i.e. they modify a head noun in a noun phrase:modify a head noun in a noun phrase:a thousand and onea thousand and oneall-singing all-dancingall-singing all-dancingany oldany oldcommon or gardencommon or gardendim and distantdim and distanthard and fasthard and fastprecious little, precious fewprecious little, precious fewthe one and onlythe one and only

AdjunctsAdjuncts

They are adverbials (priloške oznake):They are adverbials (priloške oznake):above boardabove boardby heartby heartby the skin of one’s teethby the skin of one’s teethfrom memoryfrom memoryhigh and dryhigh and dryin cold bloodin cold bloodon horsebackon horsebackout of the questionout of the questionunder the counterunder the counterunder the weatherunder the weatherup for grabsup for grabswith one’s bare handswith one’s bare handsat onceat oncefor the time beingfor the time being

AdjunctsAdjuncts

on the spur of the momenton the spur of the momentfrom time to timefrom time to timelittle by littlelittle by littletime and againtime and againonce in a blue moononce in a blue moonfrom afarfrom afarwithin spitting distancewithin spitting distancein vainin vainto be on the safe sideto be on the safe sideto smithereensto smithereensby farby farfar and awayfar and awaythrough and throughthrough and through

Sentence AdverbialsSentence Adverbials

by definitionby definitionfor the most partfor the most partin effectin effectno doubtno doubtto be sureto be sureby the wayby the wayin other wordsin other wordsso much for -----so much for -----talking of ------talking of ------above allabove allafter allafter allin factin facton the contraryon the contrary

Conventions, exclamations, and Conventions, exclamations, and subordinate clausessubordinate clauses

The commonest of these FEIs in everyday The commonest of these FEIs in everyday communication are those that encode communication are those that encode greetingsgreetings, , apologiesapologies, , refusalsrefusals, , expressions expressions of sympathyof sympathy, etc.:, etc.:by all meansby all meansdon’t mention itdon’t mention itexcuse meexcuse mego for it!go for it!good morninggood morningnever mindnever mindno commentno comment

Conventions, exclamations, and Conventions, exclamations, and subordinate clausessubordinate clauses

Some of these FEIs express Some of these FEIs express reactionsreactions and and opinionsopinions::

it’s nothingit’s nothing

pigs might flypigs might fly

those were the daysthose were the days

who cares?who cares?

you can say that againyou can say that again

Conventions, exclamations, and Conventions, exclamations, and subordinate clausessubordinate clauses

ProverbsProverbs and and sayingssayings are classified as are classified as conventions:conventions:

every cloud has a silver liningevery cloud has a silver lining

first come first servedfirst come first served

the end justifies the meansthe end justifies the means

you can’t have your cake and eat ityou can’t have your cake and eat it

Conventions, exclamations, and Conventions, exclamations, and subordinate clausessubordinate clauses

FEIs functioning as FEIs functioning as subordinate clausessubordinate clauses::

as if as if X owns the placeX owns the place

ifif the worst comes to the worst the worst comes to the worst

untiluntil the cows come home the cows come home

whenwhen push comes to shove push comes to shove

whenwhen the chips are down the chips are down