Clever, but note that we can’t say “The Giants washed the Patriots all up” with anything but a literal meaning.  The idiom has to be passive.

 

Herb

 

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brad Johnston
Sent: 2008-02-04 09:39
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Grammarians - fill this in for me, will you please?

 

Brad Johnston [log in to unmask] wrote:

I'd be surprised if there is not unanimity. But anything's possible, so let's have a look.

Well, I am surprised.

 

They're all over the map.

 

They are not my sentences, by the way, so don't blame me for "After I _______ (do) the washing-up". 

 

That's an expression a New York Giant might use today, since the Patriots are now all washed up.

 

.brad.04feb08.

 

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