I don’t think it’s meant to be ‘prose-like.’ To me it’s written in a way to simulate how someone might sound if they started talking and then before they fully spoke a thought pops in their head, they pause and then refocus their statement into a question of surprise. Basically someone doing a double-take while midway through speaking. The comma is just showing the halt that happens. It don’t believe it’s really meant to be perfectly grammatical.
Doing the Lord’s work. Bless.
Think the point is, a comma is a pause for breath, while an ellipsis is a pause for thought.
like @rever4217 said, it’s not really a fuzzy area, although they all convey a different tone usually when said which helps distinguish them (i found myself thinking harder than usual when i read them all side by side, they often come form different contexts.)
I usually hear 'it’s not like you to X" in a more concerned or caring manner, usually someone has noticed an abnormality in someone else’s behaviour and is wondering if they’re okay/ why there was a change.
eg. (i chose a very out-there example bc i am vv tired now, appologies)" What’s going on mate, it’s not like you to book a hotel room for your first date."
“it’s not like you X” is usually sarcastic meaning “you’re not supposed to do X” and sometimes implying ''don’t do X because X is too far/much". usually with the ‘duh, are you stupid tone’, but sometimes reassuring.
eg. “it’s not like you book a hotel room for your first date.”
“it’s not like you’re Xing” is sarcastic too, but more reassuring often I hear it used if someone’s overthinking a situation, like ''relax mate it’s not like you’re Xing". often exaggerated.
eg. “i’m not rich enough to ask her out” “relax mate, it’s not like you’re booking a hotel room for your first date. Just go to the park or something.”
Sorry, this ended up longer than i meant it to, i hope it made sense. Just my 2 cents.
Holy shit I just reread this thread and it really must’ve been late for me. Trust me, I speak perfect English but for some reason that completely went over my head. It isn’t like me to make mistakes like this
I feel really stupid now.
Don’t worry too much about it. We call it fobbing out over here. Language is fluid like that.
I’m late to this party but I think the OP is using like to mean “as if” in contrast to how like is being used in the context sentence to mean “out of character” .
Am I missing something?
Happens to the best of us.
Oh no my mistake was just so stupid that it’s even hard to pick up on. For some reason the sentence I mentioned sounded weird in my head at the time. Shit happens I guess…
Think the issue was you were putting the stress on the wrong word when you said it in your head.
Definitely. I was putting the emphasis on ‘you’, hence the other ‘fixes’ I gave.
It made for an entertaining thread!
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