Parseme MWE Template: English
Author(s):
- Manfred Sailer, Frankfurt a.M.
Fixedness/flexibility of MWE parts
We should not classify entire MWEs with respect to their fixedness, but we should rather classify each part of an MWE for fixedness. For this reason, we list the relevant tests for the particular syntactic categories.
NP
At least semi-fixed
Does the head noun inflect? Singular/plural
- trip [NP?: the light fantastic]: *trip [NP: the lights fantastic]/ *trip [NP: the light fantastics]
- kick [NP: the bucket]: *kick [the buckets]
- spill [NP: the beans]: *spill [the bean]
- [NP: a little bird] told X: A few little birds told me that Universal is running Transformers ride tests right now with dummies. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g34515-i19-k6433091-Transformers_opening_date-Orlando_Florida.html, 4.3.2014)
- play [[NP: the devil's] advocate]: *play [[NP: the devils'] advocate]
- play [NP: [the devil's] advocate]: ?They [played [NP: the devil's] advocates] (attested on L2 websites, but not found on L1 websites)
- [in [NP: the meantime]]: *in the meantimes
Can an adjective/modifier be inserted? (independently of whether the interpretation is that of internal or external modification)
- kick [NP: the bucket]: kick [the proverbial/social bucket]
- spill [NP: the beans]: spill [the royal beans]
- [NP: a little bird told X]: A little dickie bird from our customer services team told me that the Frances Lodge Boutique B&B in Windsor was a happy customer indeed. (http://blog.blinds-2go.co.uk/frances-lodge-windsor-loves-dark-laurel-wooden-blinds/, 4.3.2014)
- play [[NP: the devil's] advocate]: John Nucatola, the director of the sanitation department’s bureau of cleaning and collection, which schedules 46,000 street cleaning routes, played the lone devil’s advocate. (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/an-alternative-to-alternate-side-parking-rules/?_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=nyregion&_r=0, 4.3.2014)
- play [NP: [the devil's] advocate]: *play [NP: [the devil's] reliable/best/loyal advocate]]
- [in [NP: the meantime]]: *in [NP: the proverbial meantime]
- [get [NP: a word] in edgewise]: Most people don't get a dirty word in edgewise with my sisters around the table. (http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=dexter&episode=s01e06, 5.3.2014)
Is there variation in the determiner?
- kick [NP: the bucket]: *kick [a/that bucket]
- spill [NP: the beans]:
Even though Singh spilled some beans to the NYT, the cat had HP's tongue by the time El Reg came a-calling. (http://www.theregister.co.uk/Print/2012/03/12/hp_cloud_services_launch/, 5.3.2014)
Keeth spilled many beans after chunky got contacted by the FBI and Fox news. (https://plus.google.com/100594535633732388897/posts/7X1uxudypds, 5.3.2014)
Flexible
Can the NP undergo "A-movement" (passive, raising):
Passive: (Can only be applied if the NP is a direct object or inside a PP in a constellation with prepositional passive)
- [spill [NP: the beans]]: The beans were spilled.
- [kick [NP: the bucket]]: *The bucket was kicked.
- [take [NP: advantage] of s.o.]: It seems to me likely that advantage was taken of him. (http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/snooker/24223268, 10.3.2014)
Raising: (Can only be applied if the NP is the subject)
- [[NP: a little bird] told X]: a little bird seems to have told local law enforcement that musicians and DJs like their drugs and, in their eyes, this makes any artist suspicious. (http://news.beatport.com/blog/2009/12/18/dj-t-tour-blog-week-23-24/, 10.3.2014)
Can the head noun be replaced with one?
- [pull [NP: strings]]: I would not want you to think that we are proud of our ability to pull strings, such as the ones we pulled to get you down here. (Nunberg et al 1994, p. 502)
Can the NP be replaced with an indefinite pronoun?
- [keep [NP: tabs] on s.o.]: Close tabs were kept on Jane Fonda, but none were kept on Vanessa Redgrave. (Nunberg et al 1994, p. 502)
- [take [NP: advantage] of s.o./s.th.]: They claimed full advantage had been taken of the situation, but none was. (Nunberg et al 1994, p. 506)
Can the NP be replaced with a personal pronoun?
- [spill [NP: the beans]]: I was worried that Pat might spill the beans, but it was Chris who finally spilled them. (Nunberg et al 1994, p. 502)
Can the NP undergo "A-bar-movement" (topicalization, clefting, ...)?
Can the NP be topicalized or appear as a clefted constitutent?
- [pull [NP: strings]]:
These strings, Pat pulled.
It was these strings that Pat pulled. - [put one's cards [on [the table]]: *Here is the table you should put your cards on.
Can the head noun occur as the head to a relative clause which does not contain the rest of the MWE?
- [pull [NP: strings]]: Pat pulled the strings that got Kim the job.
Can the head noun occur as the head to a relative clause which contains the rest of the MWE?
- [pull [NP: strings]]: The strings that Pat pulled got Kim the job.
PP
In most cases of a PP-MWE, it is the complement of the preposition that can be tested for flexibility, not the combination of the P with its complement.
In the case of determinerless nouns in PPs, the tests for flexibility apply to the N-part, not to the P-N combination.
At least semi-fixed
As there is no inflection for prepositions in English, there is no test to establish semi-fixed P NP combinations.
Flexible
Can the PP be used predicatively, attributively, and adverbially?
- [PP: on tenterhooks]:
- predicative: Hollyoaks star Ashley Taylor Dawson was on tenterhooks during his first Strictly Come Dancing performance as fiancèe Karen was due at any moment. (http://www.reveal.co.uk/showbiz-celeb-gossip/i612951-9/rochelle-humes-georgina-dorsett-fearne-cotton-stars-who-gave-birth-in-2013-ashley-taylor-dawson-and-karen-have-a-boy.html, 5.2.2014)
- attributive: Thus a person 'on tenterhooks' is in a state of great tension or suspense, with anxiety or curiosity 'stretched' to the utmost. (http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/25/messages/112.html, 5.3.2014)
Does the MWE-internal preposition appear in the same meaning as free combinations? (Remark: This test is based on a paraphrase, which makes it dubious. Because of the highly restricted syntactic flexibility of English prepositions, this might be defensible.)
- [PP: at first]: = at the beginning
- [PP: at first blush]: = at the first glimpse/impression
AP
At least semi-fixed AP
English adjectival morphology is highly restricted, so the inflectional tests for nouns and verbs cannot be applied.
Flexible AP
Can a degree word be added?
- [AP: fit as a fiddle]: I feel very fit as a fiddle. (http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=hasta-la-vista, 8.3.2014)
MWE similes usually do not take degree words, nor do they appear in comparative or superlative. - [AP: hot and bothered]:
all hot and bothered
Ray was getting very hot and bothered about the idea. (http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-cobuild-learners/hot, 9.3.2014)
Can the adjective be used in the positive, comparative, and superlative?
- [AP: fit as a fiddle]: Ivan had tremendous groundstrokes, a great first serve and was fitter than a fiddle. (http://books.google.gr/books?isbn=0786741716, 9.3.2014)
- [AP: hot and bothered]: Driving to a game, negotiating the ring-roads and roundabouts of Awaysville, then growing hotter and more bothered as you realise the back streets in which you’re mired are nowhere near the ground. (http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/906-Grounds/2491-lights-out, 9.3.2014)
Can the AP be used predicatively and attributively?
VP
At least semi-fixed VP
Does the head verb show person and tense inflection?
- [VP: trip the light fantastic]: Keen ballroom dancers, they have tripped the light fantastic since they were in the same class at Haveley Hey Junior School, Wythenshawe. (http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/10266101.Diamond_couple_from_Timperley_trip_the_light_fantastic/, 5.3.2014)
- [V: wait and see]:
Policy held as Committee 'waits and sees' (http://www.investec.co.uk/research-and-insights/economy/spotlight-on-economics/mpc-reaction-policy-held-as-committee--waits-and-sees-.html, 8.3.2014)
I think Merida is waiting and seeing as to the amount of football he can expect to play. (http://www.arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=516631,8.3.2014)
*We [V: waited and saw].
Does the head verb allow for a verbal -ing-nominalization?
- [VP: kick the bucket]: kicking the bucket
Flexible VP
Does the verb allow for a nominal -ing-nominalization?
- [VP: kick the bucket]: *kicking of the bucket
If the head verb is transitive, is there a passive? (As passization does not change the truth conditions of a clause, it not obvious that this test should be restricted to flexible VPs. English passives probably come with a special information-structural status of the subject.)
- [VP: kick the bucket]: *The bucket was kicked.
- [VP: spill the beans]: The beans were spilled.
MWEs by syntactic type
Nominal MWEs
N N Compound
- couch potato
A N
- Gordian knot
N's N
- Archille's heel
N PP
- piece of cake
N and N
- body and soul
Verbal MWEs
Phrasal Verbs
Particle Verbs
Verb Noun idiomatic combinations
Light Verb constructions
V NP PP
- let the cat out of the bag
Subject Verb
- a little bird told NP
V and V
- wait and see
V like NP
- sell like hotcakes
V adverb clause
- strike while the iron is hot
V complement clause
- know on which side the bread is buttered
Prepositional MWEs
Determinerless Prepositional Phrase
- on top
- by foot
Complex prepositions
- in addition to
- on top of
- with regard to
P ... P ...
- from A to Z
Adjectival MWEs
A and A
- high and dry
- alive and well
- safe and sound
- (all) hot and bothered
A as NP
- fit as a fiddle
Clausal MWEs
Other patterns
MWEs by fixedness
Fixed MWEs
Semi-fixed MWEs
General characterization
Semi-fixed MWEs may show inflection and for reflexive pronoun agreement.
They do not allow for internal modification, lexical variation, or topicalization. Usually they do not allow for passive.
Nominal MWEs
Compounds. They are treated as semi-fixed rather than fixed because they typically show number inflection.
Semi-fixed Verb-Noun Idiomatic Combinations
Typically show agreement on the verb, but do not allow for passivization or any movement of the direct object NP. These are treated as non-decomposable idioms.
kick the bucket
saw logs
trip the light fantastic
Flexible MWEs
General characterization
Flexible Verb-Noun Idiomatic Combinations
They all allow for passive, raising, and internal modification.
Class 1: Some may allow for pronominalization, determiner change.
spill the beans
Class 2: Even fewer may allow for relative clause formation, use of idiom parts without the rest of the idiom in the same sentence, though it must be salient in the discourse.
pull strings
Institutionalized phrases
General characterization
Combination only shows statistical idiomaticity.
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