I hear this expression often - but "in" WHAT?
I also hear "change out" or "swap out" used where "change" or "replace" is all that's needed. Why?

It's not a preposition; it's a verbal particle. As such it doesn't need a noun phrase.

[Particle Man, Particle Man; man, I spelled particle wrong, man.]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: zmježd,

Learn something new every day. Completely new to me.

Z, is it truly 'partical', or is that a typo for 'particle'?

I don't think it was a typo, but a plain mistake. Don't know what I was thinking of when I typed that one ...

Typos or mistakes aside, I don't understand why people complicate simple expressions. It seems odd to me. Is this related to the obfuscation one sees in some jargons? One often sees the suffix "ize" affixed (Does THAT make sense?) to adjectives or nouns, when a verb would be easier, in government and educational jargon.

The way I see it, it must be logical and necessary if it's so commonplace.

I wonder, zmj, if many others on the board know the song you're quoting.

I do love They Might Be Giants, but my favorite is The Sun.

Interesting, Asa. I assume that in "sleeping over" it's a preposition, right?

I think so, Kalleh, since there's an intentionally left out object that one has no trouble filling in mentally. I don't see that in "sleeping in," or "change out."

I think it is short for "sleeping in longer". "Sleeping over" is short for "Sleeping over someone else's house".

"Sleeping over" is short for "Sleeping over someone else's house".

Strange. The sentence for me is ungrammatical. I'd have to add a preposition:

Sleeping over at someone else's house.

quote:

Originally posted by zmjezhd:
"Sleeping over" is short for "Sleeping over someone else's house".

Strange. The sentence for me is ungrammatical. I'd have to add a preposition:

Sleeping over at someone else's house.

Unless, of course, you can levitate! Maybe we've just learned one of Caterwauller's little secrets!