TobyBartels comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 27, chapter 98 - Less Wrong

2 Post author: Vaniver 28 August 2013 07:29PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (308)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: TobyBartels 31 August 2013 10:52:43PM *  0 points [-]

I think that it's fine, but Reddit is correct: it shouldn't take ‘to’.

ETA: And also, it's redundant.

Comment author: RichardKennaway 01 September 2013 06:38:41AM 2 points [-]

And also, it's redundant.

Like "spick and span" and "aid and abet". Eliezer is reaching for an elevated style and not quite hitting the mark.

Comment author: TobyBartels 01 September 2013 09:37:48AM 1 point [-]

Etymologically, ‘aid’ and ‘abet’ are different: to aid a crime is to help another to do it; to abet a crime is to encourage another to do it. (But since ‘abet’ is only used in this sense, dictionaries now give it the entire meaning, so ‘aid’ has become redundant.)

Anyway, this doesn't affect your point.

Comment author: ciphergoth 02 September 2013 05:50:17PM 0 points [-]

I can't find it on Google now, but ISTR that the meaning of "abet" you give here is an urban legend; "abet" just means "aid" and was only put in to make it sound more grand.

Comment author: Eugene 07 September 2013 11:09:46PM *  3 points [-]

It is not an urban legend. From etymonline:

from a- "to" + beter "to bait," from a Germanic source, perhaps Low Franconian betan "incite," or Old Norse beita "cause to bite"