> "just" is a four letter word and I really hate it!

"Hate" is a four letter word - how do you just-ify it?

             R

FWIW:

Just, whiles much abused, seems to me to have numerous valid uses.

1. "He just came in". Conveys the sense of immediacy of something that
is in the past but proximate in time. I can't immediately think of a a
word synonym with close or equal meaning. You could use "He recently
came in" but it is a forced construction.

2. "He just succeeded".  Most probably means he met some limit by the
barest of margins. COULD have meaning as per 1. but this would be less
usual.

3. "He wore only just enough to guarantee his admission." Similar to 2
but a different feel. 'Just' here modifies 'only'.
He wore only enough to ..." contains the same information for most
purposes but emphasises the smallness of the margin.

4. "That's not just" = fair / equitable.

5. And quite a few more.

Do you hate these examples?
If so, why, and what alternatives would you use?




        Russell
-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist