What's The Name For This Syntax Use?

[Doofus]

I like my football
She likes her soap operas
I like my food
He likes his biographies

And so on. Why do people use the tautological possessive? What is the point, other than to sound like an imbecile?

And more importantly, what's is this use of language called?

[durbster]

Doofus said:

And more importantly, what's is this use of language called?

English

[DickyC]

Present Braggart Emphatic.

[Doofus]

I know it's simple tautology, but why with the possessive?

[talksthetorque]

Surely ‘He likes his biographies’ infers they are autobiographies.

Edited for punctuation. I know how you like your punctuation on these threads.

Edited by talksthetorque on Tuesday 24th July 22:31

[Doofus]

talksthetorque said:

Surely
‘He likes his biographies’
Infers they are autobiographies

Oh FFS.

[SCEtoAUX]

Worst ever "I know what a taughtology is" thread.

[iphonedyou]

SCEtoAUX said:

Worst ever "I know what a taughtology is" thread.

Is a taughtology a well educated tautology?

[Doofus]

iphonedyou said:

Is a taughtology a well educated tautology?

We called him Taughtology because he was a swimming turtle.

[droopsnoot]

talksthetorque said:

Surely ‘He likes his biographies’ infers they are autobiographies.

Surely it implies they are autobiographies?

[Shakermaker]

droopsnoot said:

talksthetorque said:

Surely ‘He likes his biographies’ infers they are autobiographies.

Surely it implies they are autobiographies?

It isn't a well written sentence but it is exactly how the type of person who would speak like this would say it

"Hhe likes to read biographies" would be better

[talksthetorque]

droopsnoot said:

talksthetorque said:

Surely ‘He likes his biographies’ infers they are autobiographies.

Surely it implies they are autobiographies?

Edited by talksthetorque on Wednesday 25th July 11:59

[thebraketester]

Doofus said:

I like my football
She likes her soap operas
I like my food
He likes his biographies

And so on. Why do people use the tautological possessive? What is the point, other than to sound like an imbecile?

And more importantly, what's is this use of language called?

Is it not a regional thing too? Not that that is an excuse, just never seem to hear southerners say it.

[DickyC]

I like my football
She likes her soap operas
I like my food
He likes his biographies

In my experience this phrasing is used by people who, when greeting someone, uses their name in the third person. I worked with a bloke who every morning would ask me, "How's Dicky today?" Me replying, "Let's ask him," didn't help and just made him irritable.

[mr_spock]

I take it to mean they like a subset of the thing in question. "She likes her soap operas" would mean she likes some soap operas a lot (it's emphasis) but not all of them.

[Doofus]

But "I like my football". "He loves his sunbathing."