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<And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy…>
I ‘d like to know how common it is and other related things, too.
TIA
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The expression "many a <singular noun>" is a sort of poetic, literary way of saying "many <plural noun>". Thus, "many a poor boy" means the same thing as "many poor boys". This expression is mainly found in literature - it's very rarely heard in vernacular speech.
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Agree. This kind of construction also turns up in songs a lot as in "Many a tear has to fall but its all in the game..." (from "It's All In The Game" - sung by Tommy Edwards 1958). The original example given I believe, comes from the Animals 1964 song "House Of The Rising Sun."
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FYI, "House of the Rising Sun" is a Woody Guthrie song. The Animals' version was just one of many covers.
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Check that. "House of the Rising Sun" is a folk song whose authorship remains uncertain. Nonetheless, it was popular and sung by many artists prior to The Animals.
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Re: "FYI, "House of the Rising Sun" is a Woody Guthrie song. The Animals' version was just one of many covers. " - Dude Who Knows
That's plausible since the Animals were a rock band (rock combo) from Northern England and "House of the Rising Sun" contains a reference to New Orleans.
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Ah, if you're thrown off by "many a boy" wait 'til we cover "many's the time" ... ;)
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Many a time? A good idea, Uriel, go ahead.
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Not "many a time"; "many's the time". With the apostrophe + S. I would think that to an English learner, that would sound like an odd construction, although native speakers just take it for granted.
"Many's the time I've gone down to the bar and caught my husband fooling around with some girl because he was drunk off his ass again. He does it again, he's out of here."
You can also use "many a time", but the other construction exists alongside it and means the same thing. Although to use the second variation I might be tempted to reword a little:
"I've gone down to the bar many a time and caught my husband fooling around with some girl because he was drunk off his ass again."
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<many's the time>
Yes, Uriel, it does sound odd to me. It's informal, isn't it?
And if we start with <Many a time>, it requires inversion, right?
Many a time have I seen this glib politician lie in Parliament.
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I suppose it's informal, although that can be a somewhat hazy term.
I don't think inversion is actually required, no.
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>> Many's the time <<
Hmm. Is this also a literary term? I've never heard anyone say it in RL. It also sounds grammatically incorrect.
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"Many's the time" is correct.
As for the inversion if you start a sentence with "Many a time", that actually sounds better to me, but it also sounds rather old-fashioned, and I think I've only seen it in literature. When I have actually heard the phrase, it's been placed as it is in Uriel's example:
""I've gone down to the bar many a time and caught my husband fooling around with some girl because he was drunk off his ass again."
Another example of "many a" is the song "Many a New Day" from the musical "Oklahoma!" (The "many a's" start in the second stanza:
Why should a woman who is healthy and strong,
Blubber like a baby if her man goes away?
A-weepin' and a-wailin' how he done her wrong,
That's one thing you'll never hear me say!
Never gonna' think that the man I lose is the only man among men.
I'll snap my fingers to show I don't care;
I'll buy me a brand new dress to wear;
I'll scrub my neck and I'll brush my hair,
And start all over again.
Many a new face will please my eye,
Many a new love will find me;
Never've I once looked back to sigh over the romance behind me;
Many a new day will dawn before I do!
Many a light lad may kiss and fly,
A kiss gone by is bygone.
Never've I asked an August sky, "Where has last July gone?"
Never've I wandered through the rye, wondering where has some guy gone;
Many a new day will dawn before I do!
Many a new face will please my eye,
Many a new love will find me;
Never've I once looked back to sigh over the romance behind me;
Many a new day will dawn before I do!
Many a light lad may kiss and fly,
A kiss gone by is bygone.
Never've I asked an August sky, "Where has last July gone?"
Never've I wandered through the rye, wondering where has some guy gone;
Many a new day will dawn before I do!
Many a red sun will set!
Many a blue moon will shine before I do!
(Note also the "a-" construction and "he done her wrong".)
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Very nice lyrics, tnx, Deborah. They prove "many a" is merely poetic.
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No, they don't. It's not poetic at all--it's a pretty common construction.
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