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Chris -- 2018-04-11
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On a cross-country talk show this afternoon, the guest used some interesting expressions. He couldn’t understand something, “for the likes of me.” That’s a blend between for the life of me and someone the likes of me, I’d say. Not semantically justifiable, I don’t think. His second expression was to “not have any compulsion about” an action, rather than any compunction. That one could make sense, if it were interpreted as “not having any compulsion against,” i.e., having no compunction. Both are free in the wild, though not abundant.
For the record, I like most kids. But I don’t have any compulsion about being “mean” to them, either. If a kid is rude to me, I’m going to be rude right back.
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it’s quite possible I overlooked something simple, but I can’t for the likes of me think of what.
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It runs the other direction too. (Documented both spoken and written.)
There’s no compunction to cancel a committee
Sort of a blend? No compulsion to hold the committee meeting, you need feel no compunction/qualms if you decide to cancel, you can cancel without compunction/any qualms
[re impulse spending] When you feel the compunction to buy
Please believe me when I say you are under no compunction whatsoever to recognise this connexion. It is entirely up to you.
[he] had felt no compunction to become acquainted with his soon to be sister-in-law. He understood her to be shallow and conceited and, though he had been polite, she had not failed to notice his disapproval of her.
*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .
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