Talk:dead broke

dead broke
This was deleted before, but I can't find any discussion. Is this considered sum of parts? (I am not supporting deletion, merely opening a discussion.) --Dan Polansky (talk) 17:08, 29 November 2014 (UTC)
 * It's SOP, but I'm abstaining, because it might be useful as translations target, and the lemming principle (if we one day agree on it) might save it.Matthias Buchmeier (talk) 17:46, 29 November 2014 (UTC)


 * It was deleted before as "No usable content given" because literally all it said was . —Aɴɢʀ (talk) 17:51, 29 November 2014 (UTC)
 * Anyway, I find interesting. The only combination outperforming "dead broke" is "completely broke", which covers many cases for which "broke" does not mean "impoverished", such as in "He completely broke up the rod". --Dan Polansky (talk) 17:57, 29 November 2014 (UTC)
 * Delete. Dead is a colloquial word for very, it also commonly collocates with "fit" and "tired". This is not a special or unusual combination. Renard Migrant (talk) 19:03, 29 November 2014 (UTC)
 * Delete. Doesn't seem useful to me. OED attests adverbial dead from the 1700s, and it occurs with any number of adjectives. Contrast with stony broke, which is a keeper. Equinox ◑ 21:20, 29 November 2014 (UTC)
 * Delete. Broke is about the 12th most common adjective modified by adverbial dead. It is used mostly colloquially. It has, I think three adverbial glosses, almost always modifying adjectives or other adverbs: "as if dead" (dead asleep, dead pale); "exactly" (dead level, dead ahead, dead even); "very, absolutely" (dead serious, dead set, dead wrong). I can't explain what selects dead in the "very, absolutely" sense rather than any of the other degree adverbs. It may be the other senses are connotations appropriate for certain modified terms rather than others. But it is used with a sufficiently large variety of terms that the combinations do not seem at all lexical. DCDuring TALK 23:46, 29 November 2014 (UTC)
 * Keep. One could argue, perhaps unkindly, that if Hillary Clinton can use the term it must be idiomatic. Equinox states that stony broke is a "keeper" probably as it's UK / Australian; I wonder whether the synonym dead broke is used more stateside. The Wikisaurus file is a good idea, gathering together all the terms for being without any money. Anyway, what chance have the terms not have two pennies to rub together and skint as a flint got? Usage of the latter term may be localised, it doesn't Google very well. Donnanz (talk) 09:45, 1 December 2014 (UTC)
 * No, "stony broke" is a keeper because it doesn't work with other adjectives: you can't be "stony rich", "stony cool", "stony funny" but you can be "dead rich", "dead cool", "dead funny". Equinox ◑ 14:47, 1 December 2014 (UTC)
 * I'm dead certain that Equinox is dead right on this and that Donnanz is dead wrong. If Hillary or anyone else uses a term and a modifier together that provides no evidence whatsoever of idiomaticity. I'm amazed that we still have to have a discussion about what constitutes evidence of idiomaticity. DCDuring TALK 15:25, 1 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Why would who uses it make it includable? English isn't only used by notable people. Renard Migrant (talk) 16:42, 1 December 2014 (UTC)
 * No, I agree, you're not exactly notable. It may or may not be idiomatic. I see Equinox's point about stony, but I still think "dead broke" should be be kept as a synonym. If CFI doesn't specify this, it ought to be changed. Donnanz (talk) 17:37, 1 December 2014 (UTC)
 * CFI is a few weeks away from being a museum piece. Why update it? Renard Migrant (talk) 23:14, 2 December 2014 (UTC)
 * I'd say not have two pennies to rub together and skint as a flint have 100% chance of remaining here unchallenged if created. Renard Migrant (talk) 23:16, 2 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Delete, SoP. When this construct is encountered in a sentence, the meaning of "broke" as "without money" can always be inferred from context. After that, it is clear that only one sense of "dead" can apply. Therefore it's very unlikely this term would be of any use. --Tweenk (talk) 05:03, 24 December 2014 (UTC)

Deleted. bd2412 T 19:23, 26 December 2014 (UTC)