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Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder2.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Ross Clark <benlizro@ihug.co.nz> Newsgroups: sci.lang Subject: Re: [I want to be in that number] <-- i've not heard this idiom elsewhere Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2024 13:01:04 +1300 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 41 Message-ID: <vgbn86$166r2$1@dont-email.me> References: <8a46af9a0e25d7ec58a383f92df08f2f@www.novabbs.com> <vgadb3$u83r$1@dont-email.me> Reply-To: r.clark@auckland.ac.nz MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Tue, 05 Nov 2024 01:01:10 +0100 (CET) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="8139fb032db37e98578c9061d1a39596"; logging-data="1252194"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1+Bq+i55lOkgQQaOs/R/qAmp22cEJ/hr4o=" User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.0; rv:52.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/52.9.1 Cancel-Lock: sha1:V4OQ8vgu1tDWQjO6P7/5X1jmVEA= Content-Language: en-GB In-Reply-To: <vgadb3$u83r$1@dont-email.me> Bytes: 2864 On 5/11/2024 1:05 a.m., Ed Cryer wrote: > HenHanna wrote: >> [Yes, I want to be in that number] <-- i've never heard this idiom >> anywhere else >> >> >> The phrase "I want to be in that number" is an idiomatic >> expression that conveys a desire to be included in a particular group or >> experience, often associated with something positive or significant. >> ........... >> >> >> This kind of phrasing can be found in various songs and >> traditions, especially in spirituals and gospel music >> > I should think that the most likely source of that "number" in "Oh When > The Saints Go Marching In" is the last book of the New Testament in the > Bible; the Apocalypse. > That book is full of numbers; 4 and 7 occur a lot, 666 will be the > number of the Antichrist (I once read that that pointed to the Roman > emperor Nero, but can't recall the convoluted reasoning; something to do > with the letters of Nero's name), and then, of course, the 144,000 who > will be saved because of their righteousness (12,000 from each of the > tribes of Israel). Those are the saints who'll go marching into heaven. > And, yeah, I'd like to be there, too, but I doubt I'm half good enough. > > Greek language, rather than Latin; Roman intellectuals tended to > venerate classical Greek culture; and copy it. > > Ed > OED: number (n) II.8.b. c1350– A particular body or company of persons or things. Now only in constructions denoting inclusion, as of (also in, etc.) the number (of). 1785 The Emperor continues to give proofs of his desire of receiving us into the number of his tributaries. (T.Jefferson, letter)