![]() ![]() (You) never mind (it)-there are more important things to deal with. ![]() I never minded her reminiscences of her younger years. The adverb never originates from Old English nǣfre (from ne, meaning "not," plus ǣfre, "ever"), and true to form it means "not ever" or "at no time," as in "I have never met her" or "Never in my whole life have I been so happy." The base word mind is a verb that is often used in idiomatic, usually negative, imperative constructions suggesting that someone should show (or not show) concern about something, worry (or not worry) about something, or pay (or not pay) attention to something. The closed (or hyphenated) noun form, nevermind, is dialectal and has the meaning of "interest," "concern," or "attention." It, like its conjunction cousin, is used in contexts implying indifference, disregard, or dismissal.ĭon't pay him no nevermind he's just teasing. Never mind is most often spelled as two words-unless it is used as a noun. I wouldn't mind having another piece of pie, but never mind-I already had two.ĭo you know where my keys are? Oh, never mind. "What is that supposed to mean?" "Never mind." Take for example, "With my injured knee I can hardly walk, never mind run" or "I can barely understand it, never mind explain it." The phrase is also used imperatively to tell a person to disregard or dismiss something said. It's a term that joins together sentences, clauses, other phrases, or words-and has nuances of meaning ranging from " much less" and " let alone." It is used in negative contexts, and it precedes an option, idea, situation, etc., followed by another that is less likely. Never mind has a conjunction function in English. Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1837 "Do you call yourself a gentleman, Sir?"-"Never mind, Sir." There must be something very comprehensive in this phrase of "Never mind," for we do not recollect to have ever witnessed a quarrel in the street, at a theatre, public room, or elsewhere, in which it has not been the standard reply to all belligerent inquiries. 'Never Mind' as a Conjunction and an Imperative Never mind the photo choice, here's the usage advice. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |