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Chris -- 2018-04-11

#1 2009-02-19 14:48:27

jorkel
Eggcornista
Registered: 2006-08-08
Posts: 1456

Beyond my CAN (ken)

“Ken” refers to one’s range of understanding. It’s cute that one might misunderstand an expression like “it’s beyond my ken” to be “it’s beyond my can.” It would seem that the reference is to one’s ability … what one can do. (I don’t know that anyone would be implying a more concrete meaning of “can”). – Analysis by Joe Krozel


Few examples with this particularly construction:

Web Design Forums – A website development & web design forum …
I have a clear idea of how it will look like and navigation isn’t a problem but scripting is a challenge beyond my can... So my hat is already off I just want to pass it on for …
webdesignforums.net/index.php · Cached page

new sql server forum request [Archive] – Petri.co.il forums by Daniel …
... commands than LDAP (which is also a query language (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Query_language)) hence the name Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. I’m speaking beyond my can ...
www.petri.co.il/forums/archive/index.php/t-11697.html · Cached page

new sql server forum request – Petri.co.il forums by Daniel Petri
I’m speaking beyond my can, though. (it’s just what the book said ) I don’t know SQL or X500 (what LDAP is based on) at all. _
www.petri.co.il/forums/showthread.php?t=11697 · Cached page

DefenseLink News Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Lt. Gen. Lamb from …
... sorry. I’ve taken that out—because otherwise, I’d hear myself mumbling back to myself about five seconds after the event. I just can’t handle it. It’s beyond my can.
www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcr … iptid=4009 · Cached page

spyderco.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-23377.html · Cached page
The Lighting of the Death – Page 6 – EN World D&D / RPG News
Although it is beyond my can, I think we need to find a way to meet them on there own grounds. Any ideas?” _
www.enworld.org/forum/living-eberron/22 … ath-6.html · Cached page

Last edited by jorkel (2009-02-19 14:50:30)

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#2 2009-02-19 14:56:31

DavidTuggy
Eggcornista
From: Mexico
Registered: 2007-10-11
Posts: 2715
Website

Re: Beyond my CAN (ken)

I love it.


*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .

(Possible Corollary: it is, and we are .)

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#3 2009-02-19 22:49:48

patschwieterman
Administrator
From: California
Registered: 2005-10-25
Posts: 1680

Re: Beyond my CAN (ken)

A great find. I’m surprised no one had gone looking for “beyond my ken” reshapings before now.

Google claims 31k rghits for “beyond my kin.” Most are probably just phonetic spellings attributable to pin/pen merger, but it’s possible some people have rationalized this as “beyond what’s familiar to me and all my tribe” or something similar. Examples:

How that stupid morron Phil stay’s on daytime TV is beyond my kin and you need to be erased from the internet.
http://news.cnet.com/Inside-the-psych-w … 51595.html

Totally unprepared am I, to face a world of men.
Timid and shy and scared am I, of things beyond my kin.
I need someone older and wiser telling me what to do.
You are seventeen, going on eighteen. I’ll depend on you
http://michaellee.modernwriters.org/vie … 6d8311a0b6

The speed , the power, the handling, the rock solid, rattle free ride is beyond my kin for a 30 year old car.
http://mbca.cartama.net/archive/index.php/t-318.html

Maybe. But more likely, “determinism” is not the name of anything clear, so that it is hard to determine whether or not it is true. It certainly is beyond my kin. None of my relatives know a thing about it. I think the word you want is, “ken”.
http://www.freeratio.org/showthread.php … 38&page=13

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#4 2009-02-19 23:46:12

jorkel
Eggcornista
Registered: 2006-08-08
Posts: 1456

Re: Beyond my CAN (ken)

You’re right Pat. In fact, it’s amazing that Ken hasn’t found it previously. (Hmmmm… maybe I should look for all possible eggcorns of Joe while you look for all possible eggcorns of Pat).

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#5 2009-02-20 00:19:23

patschwieterman
Administrator
From: California
Registered: 2005-10-25
Posts: 1680

Re: Beyond my CAN (ken)

Joe wrote:

(Hmmmm… maybe I should look for all possible eggcorns of Joe while you look for all possible eggcorns of Pat).

Okay—my (1st?) post is up!

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