What does make the difference?

You have words - now what do you do with them?
thejazzgirl
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What does make the difference?

Postby thejazzgirl » Sun May 30, 2010 10:33 am

Over the past couple of years folks have been saying... as a reply to a question.
"It doesn't make a difference".
I think the statement should be...
"It doesn't make any difference". Please tell me what you think.
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Perry
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Postby Perry » Sun May 30, 2010 5:07 pm

Or... It makes no difference.

My thinking is that it is all a question of nuance and emphasis. I do not believe that one way is more correct than the other.
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
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Slava
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Postby Slava » Sun May 30, 2010 6:09 pm

I was thinking along the same lines:

Is there any difference?
Is there a difference?
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

saparris
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Postby saparris » Tue Jun 01, 2010 8:23 pm

If you follow the form of the idiomatic expression, "to make a difference," then "it doesn't make a difference" uses the same form. However, both seem meaningful and acceptable as standard English.

So it doesn't make a difference, or any difference.

Eether/eyether, tomato/tomahto.
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Slava
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Postby Slava » Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:06 pm

Please, though, let's not call the whole thing off.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.


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