rename + preposition "to"?

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:12 am

Does anyone here use "rename + to"? I find it odd. I always thought "rename" contains "to" (rename = assign a new name to).

EG

*?We're going to pass a bill to force the Congress cafeteria to rename "French fries" to "freedom fries."

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:15 am

It sounds odd to me, and I can't find any example in the CCCS (unless you count We've even renamed some medicines to make their use clearer, in which to has a different meaning).

In the example you give, I would leave out to altogether, or say as, but maybe that's just my English.

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:39 am

lolwhites wrote:It sounds odd to me, and I can't find any example in the CCCS (unless you count We've even renamed some medicines to make their use clearer, in which to has a different meaning).

In the example you give, I would leave out to altogether, or say as, but maybe that's just my English.

Yes, in my English, the preposition "to", after "rename", would be redundant. Still, some folks are using it:

http://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=131861

http://gcc.gnu.org/ml/gcc/2002-06/msg00217.html

http://dev.eclipse.org/mhonarc/lists/my ... 01374.html

http://lists.debian.org/debian-tetex-ma ... 00036.html

http://www.jpsoftwiki.com/wiki/index.ph ... nderscores

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:14 pm

Interesting that the examples you give are all from discussion forums, where people tend to just type stuff and click "submit". Maybe it wouldn't have got past a magazine sub-editor. Then again, they're also all Linux forums so maybe rename to means something in IT. Renaming a file to something else doesn't sound as odd to me as renaming a building to something else.

BTW does the fact that they're all Linux forums mean you're a Linux user too?

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:29 pm

lolwhites wrote:Interesting that the examples you give are all from discussion forums, where people tend to just type stuff and click "submit". Maybe it wouldn't have got past a magazine sub-editor. Then again, they're also all Linux forums so maybe rename to means something in IT. Renaming a file to something else doesn't sound as odd to me as renaming a building to something else.

BTW does the fact that they're all Linux forums mean you're a Linux user too?

No, I don't use Linux.