Re: First Thing's (?) First... logic don't enter into it
I think the key here is that the expression isn't tied to any grammatical
logic... its a colloquial expression, like "First Come, First Served," that
really makes no grammatical sense.
You've just gotta know your idioms, or there's no solving these debates...
like for decades, i've been trying to convince my mom that she's wrong by
saying "Waste not, want not"... not the other way around. Even though
English is her second language, she keeps insisting that her version is more
logical... if you don't waste something, you won't want it later when you
run out.
But she's right -- it *is* waste not, want not! I certainly have never heard "want not, waste not," which to me makes no sense at all.
Bonnie Granat
www.GranatEdit.com
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Re: First Thing's (?) First... logic don't enter into it: From: Wright, Lynne
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