Wednesday, May 12, 2004

I'm posting this if you want to read it

Lately I've noticed an interesting use of the word if. Consider the sentence: "I'm going to the store if you want to come along." Normally that doesn't literally mean I'm going to the store (only) if you want to come along (but I'm not going otherwise). It means: I'm going to the store (and) if you want to come along (you can).

Do people in other parts of the world say this? Or is it an American West Coast usage?

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