mixing registers

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:38 am

Would you say that "bid goodbye" is an example of register mixing?

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:30 am

No! Formal + neutral.

87,500 Google hits compared to around 3 million for different forms of "say goodbye".

JuanTwoThree · Post by **JuanTwoThree** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:57 am

Googling "bid you good-bye/goodbye" throws up Anne Brontë, Henry James, a translation of Turgenev, lyrics by Lou Reed/The Velvet Underground and by Super Furry Animals.

Which is pretty much right across the board as far as register is concerned!

It would be very picky to insist on collocating "say good-bye" and "bid farewell".

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:39 pm

Stephen Jones wrote:No! Formal + neutral.
Isn't neutral register a register in itself?

87,500 Google hits compared to around 3 million for different forms of "say goodbye".
For example:

969,000 for "bid farewell"
89,500 for "bid goodbye".

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:46 pm

It would be very picky to insist on collocating "say good-bye" and "bid farewell".

I made no judgements upon such collocation. Nor do I have anything against skilled mixing.

JuanTwoThree · Post by **JuanTwoThree** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:15 pm

No, you didn't. There was no way of telling what your view was.

It's certainly true that conscious register mixing is a handy device. I don't however think that "I must bid you goodbye" is an example of this.

And before anybody jumps to any more conclusions, don't anybody conclude that I think that just because I don't think that it is a good example that I in any way suggest that any other person or persons thinks that it is.

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:17 pm

I don't however think that "I must bid you goodbye" is an example of this.

I grabbed it out of a quote from something said by an American football coach or player. Can't remember which.

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:36 pm

Isn't neutral register a register in itself?

Yes, but the whole point is that it can be mixed with all other registers.
You wouldn't say "I ain't done nothing" is registry mixing because 'I' and 'done' are mixed with the informal/substandard 'ain't' and double negative.