Talk:all to pieces

[[all]] + [[to pieces]]. We'd been missing "to pieces". "All" is merely an intensifying adverb. Not a set phrase. DCDuring TALK 09:08, 28 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Agree with DCDuring.--Brett 11:01, 28 October 2009 (UTC)
 * I agree with DCDuring, too. I usually suggest redirecting these as likely search terms, but this one isn't a common collocation in my dialect. If it is elsewhere, I suggest redirecting; otherwise, delete. &#x200b;— msh210 ℠ 16:26, 28 October 2009 (UTC)
 * I've never heard of it. So I can't comment any further. Mglovesfun (talk) 19:56, 28 October 2009 (UTC)
 * I've never heard of it either, but surely that presents a stronger case to keep it, as many other people will no doubt be looking it up in desperate confusion. Tooironic 22:43, 28 October 2009 (UTC)
 * That any number of people haven't heard of a grouping of words is not determinative for multi-element headwords. The main issue, for a disputed multi-word headword such as this, is whether, with appropriate definitions of the component words (not artificial definitions, but not necessarily limited to the ones currently in our entries), a user can make a good inference about the meaning of the grouping. I hope that my strong words will not get anyone all hot and bothered or have them go to pieces . BTW, see [[meeces]]. DCDuring TALK 23:32, 28 October 2009 (UTC)
 * The example sentence given - "I knew him all to pieces" - sounds extremely vague to me, and I for one would not be able to make any inferences about its meaning in full confidence. Tooironic 11:03, 29 October 2009 (UTC)
 * If you would like to be able to make inferences, check out OneLook.com for other dictionaries and COCA or BNC or Google to get some usage information. You could treat this as an RfV and provide cites. I don't feel like improving what looks to me to be a highly deletable entry. You do have to trust folks a bit not to be deleting truly important entries. all is an intensifier much like very that adds about as much to "to pieces" as "very" adds to "good".
 * You may think I a some kind of deletionist, but I did the research and added the missing to pieces entry, found take to pieces and added the related/derived terms go to pieces and fall to pieces. I just happen to spend some time in some of the crevices where some poor multi-word entries have survived because they have not been examined (or used?) much. DCDuring TALK 11:58, 29 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Oh, it was my impression that "all to pieces" was a fixed expression, but if it can indeed be said as "to pieces" as well then I understand why it should be deleted. Tooironic 04:32, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

Deleted. &#x200b;— msh210 ℠ 22:32, 15 February 2010 (UTC)