with scarce so much as

English translation: not even

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	with scarce so much as
Selected answer:	not even
Entered by:	Michael Kislov

16:55 Apr 4, 2009

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

English term or phrase: with scarce so much as

Dear Colleagues, it's from "Vanity Fair".

"My master would have four," said Mr. Joseph Sedley's servant, who was
in waiting; and he and Mr. Osborne's man agreed as they followed George
and William into the church, that it was a "reg'lar shabby turn out;
and with scarce so much as a breakfast or a wedding faviour.

Thank you very much in advance!

Michael Kislov KudoZ activity Questions: 834 (none open) (2 without valid answers) (33 closed without grading) Answers: 2655 Russian Federation
Local time: 01:23

not even

Explanation:
He's very unhappy because there isn't even a wedding breakfast (traditionally with Champagne).

NB - maybe it's a misprint in the source text, but it's "favours" at the end

Selected response from:

Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 23:23

Grading comment

Thank you, Sheila!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

5 +9

not even

Sheila Wilson

4 +3

with barely as much as

Laurie Price

without so much as/without even

conejo

Answers

5 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +9

not even

Explanation:
He's very unhappy because there isn't even a wedding breakfast (traditionally with Champagne).

NB - maybe it's a misprint in the source text, but it's "favours" at the end

Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 23:23
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 44

Grading comment

Thank you, Sheila!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Jim Tucker (X): of course

13 mins

-> Thanks

agree

JoanneEdwards

23 mins

-> Thanks

neutral

B D Finch: I assume that you know the book - I don't. Strictly speaking shouldn't "scarce so much as" mean barely, i.e. a very meagre breakfast? One would expect lots of wedding favours so **hardly any** wedding favours would make sense.

27 mins

-> It's certainly often that, but a wedding favour is either there or it isn't

agree

Eng2Span: When you read this account it's doubtful they gave anything at all... scarce can mean "absent" as well... even today. :-)

1 hr

-> Thanks - as you say it's barely or not at all

agree

Simon Mac

2 hrs

-> Thanks

agree

cmwilliams (X)

3 hrs

-> Thanks

agree

Mark Nathan

3 hrs

-> Thanks

agree

Deborah Workman

7 hrs

-> Thanks

agree

chaman4723

11 hrs

-> Thanks

agree

John Alphonse: or just "not" so much as

2 days 1 hr

-> Thanks, that's probably what we'd say nowadays

9 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

with barely as much as

Explanation:
scarce < scarcely < barely

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2009-04-04 17:07:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

scarce: adj., scarc·er, scarc·est.

1. Insufficient to meet a demand or requirement; short in supply: Fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought.
2. Hard to find; absent or rare: Steel pennies are scarce now except in coin shops.

adv.

Barely or hardly; scarcely.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 mins (2009-04-04 17:07:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

from answers.com

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2009-04-04 17:17:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

in fact, probably not enough to pull together a breakfast, let alone a wedding treat (of the snack variety) ...

"Faviour" ? A typo? "Favour" instead?

Laurie Price
Mexico
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

B D Finch: I think you are right, though "scarce as much as" is an archaic phrase that can't be simply explained with modern examples of "scarce". Does the book say whether or not there was actually a wedding breakfast?

27 mins

-> Thanks BD, I used those definitions to justify suggesting "barely" -- though yes, different century!

neutral

Eng2Span: Secnd term of the second definition you provided: "absent"... reading the book, I doubt they gave anything at all. It was quite pathetic...

1 hr

-> Thanks Eng2Span

agree

Jeanette Phillips

3 hrs

-> Thank you Jeanette*

agree

Gary D: hardly any breckie, maybe they put on a continental breckie, and put some flowers on the table to make it look a bit wedding like. (with a wedding flavour)

6 hrs

-> Thanks GAry, even that sounds more abundant ...

4 days confidence:

without so much as/without even

Explanation:
Archaic wording...
with scarce so much as = without so much as = without even

conejo
United States
Local time: 17:23
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you!

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