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Archiver > ABOUT-WORDS > 2004-04 > 1081363611


From: "Bruce Todd" <>
Subject: Re: [ABOUT WORDS] Dog-in-the-manger
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2004 14:46:57 -0400
References: <000001c41cc5$98cad060$a04fde42@PEGGY>


Peggy -Thank you for that input.

I would not consider a "level playing field" to be a synonym for "dog in the
manger", for two reasons. The former is a concept and the latter is a
person. And someone who advocates a level playing field simply wants
equality or doesn't want anybody to have an advantage. They want everybody
to be treated the same way, - quite different than hogging something that is
not wanted or needed.

It is interesting that one of the URLs you provided mentioned that "there
is not exact synonym....". Since the definition of a synonym involves
"sameness or similarity", and since most words in synonym list are only
approximations, "exact synonym" is pretty close to an oxymoron, most of the
time.

Bruce.


> How about hypocrite? It's not perfect, but it is in the ballpark.
> Though you asked for an adjective and this is a noun.
>
> I did find this on the Internet:
> http://www.geocities.com/smokersunited/talkingpoints.htm
>
> All inclusive smoking bans like those in California and Delaware provide
> a level playing field.
>
> No, what they do is take away all other choices thereby FORCING
> customers to patronize their smokefree establishments whether they want
> to or not. It slants the "playing field" in one direction only, and
> hurts small business owners.
>
> "Level playing field" is a synonym for "dog in the manger" and the
> desire for such a field proves that welcoming smokers IS, in fact, a
> competitive edge. The fact is that smokers choose places where they're
> welcome , and shun those where they aren't. If ALL places shun them
> then smokers are likely to shun ALL places. So everyone, equally, loses
> their patronage. When smokers are given no room at any inn it benefits
> the large chains which can absorb such losses and harms and destroys the
> local neighborhood small businesses which can't.
>
>
> and:
>
> http://www.websters-dictionary-online.org/definition/english/ma/manger.h
> tml
>
> Context - Synonyms - within Context-(source: adapted from Roget's
> Thesaurus).
> Selfishness: Time-pleaser, time-server; tuft-hunter, fortune-hunter;
> jobber, worldling; egotist, egoist, monopolist, nepotist; dog in the
> manger, charity that begins at home; canis in praesepi, "foes to
> nobleness," temporizer, trimmer.
>
> How about churlish?
> http://www.websters-dictionary-online.org/definition/english/Do/Dog.html
>
> A dog in the manger. A churlish fellow, who will not use what is wanted
> by another, nor yet let the other have it to use. The allusion is to the
> well-known fable of a dog that fixed his place in a manger, and would
> not allow an ox to come near the hay.
>
> Along the way I found a site some of you might enjoy. It says several
> times that some words have no satisfactory synonyms.
> http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:5YGvFEbY90kJ:www.blackwellpublishin
> g.com/content/BPL_Images/Content_store/Sample_chapter/063118855X%255CHug
> hes.pdf+%22dog+in+the+manger%22+synonym&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
> History in the Language: The Vocabulary as a Historical Repository
>
> Peggy Hoehne
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bruce Todd [mailto:]
> What synonymous adjective(s) would you come up with for the noun phrase
> so defined? "Selfish" might be obvious, but does it really fit the
> definition? Doesn't "selfishness" indicate that the person "wants" the
> thing in question for himself, rather than simply denying it to others?
> Isn't there a better adjective, maybe "disgruntled"?
>
>
> Bruce.
>
>
>
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>
>
> ==============================
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