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From: Jack Hamilton <jfh@acm.org>
Newsgroups: alt.languages.english
Subject: Re: What does it mean? "little did I expect" ...
Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 20:42:16 -0700
Organization: Copyright (c) 2006 by Jack Hamilton. Reproduction without attribution, and archiving without permission, are not allowed.
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"compunk" <compunk@chol.com> wrote:
>Hi.
>What does it mean?" Little did I expect "
>
>Here is the exemple :
>
>Little did I expect it might be so easily tracked in its impact. People
>want to complain about the exit polling in terms of the rollercoaster
>ride Tuesday night, but that's not what exit polling is all about. It's
>about helping figure out subtle influences like this one.
It means "I didn't expect this, but...", more or less. The person
saying it didn't expect what is about to be stated, and is surprised by
it.
It's a fairly common rhetorical phrase.
Jack Hamilton
jfh@acm.org
-----
Though in a state of society some must have greater
luxuries and comforts than others, yet all should have
the necessities of life; and if the poor cannot exist,
in vain may the rich look for happiness or prosperity.
The legistlature is never so well employed as when they
look to the interests of those who are at a distance
from them in the ranks of society. It is their duty
to do so; religion calls for it; humanity calls for it;
and if there are hearts who are not awake to either of
those feelings, their own interests would dictate it.
Sir Lloyd Kenyon, Rex vs. Rusby, 1800
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