enough

Question

This is from a radio transcript. I don't understand the usage of "enough" here, and need your help.

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Hopefully, I won't rattle too many chains by the fact that I just began a sentence with what many regard as an unforgivable misuse of 'hopefully,' and put a phrase in, 'rattle too many chains,' that quite a few would deem beneath appropriate English usage. You can hardly sneak by under the radar screen -- oh, there goes another cliche -- without the language police of all stripes listening with bated ear for cliches, lexical lapses, bad syntax or any violation of what may or may not, like bated ear, seem acceptable.

Enough jargon and split infinitives and confusion of 'lie' and 'lay'; and next, no doubt, we will see the remnants of all civilized culture crashing down upon us. Do we really need to be all that mindful of how we use the language?
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I thought at first that "enough" means "too much," but I couldn't find suitable definitions in my dictionaries. They say, it means only "there is as much of something as is needed."

I'm still confused, please help me understand the usage of "enough" here...!!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

The semicolon in the sentence beginning with enough is confusing, but this is because of how the spoken form was transcribed. Blame the transcriber! enough means sufficient, as always.

The stylistic pattern is:

Enough ..., and this will happen.

The reader is expected to understand this as a causal connection. So it means

When there is enough jargon, split infinitives, etc., civilized culture will come crashing down.
When the amount of jargon, split infinitives, etc. reaches a sufficient amount, then civilization will crash.

Both enough and too much can be used this way.

Enough heat, and the mixture will explode.
Too much heat, and the mixture will explode.

So you're right that enough is really a lot like too much in this pattern. The two expressions enough and too much don't mean the same thing, but the meanings of the entire pattern in which they can occur are similar.
With enough, you focus on reaching a limit from below, perhaps through a gradual increase.
With too much, you focus only on being above the limit.
The end result is the same in both cases. (But don't mistake that for saying that enough means too much!

)

CJ

Feathers · Answer

My dictionaries only confused me more with their usage notes

... in addition to the confusing semicolon. This is what I was missing:

CalifJimThe stylistic pattern is:

Enough ..., and this will happen.

The reader is expected to understand this as a causal connection.

Your explanation is really clear. Very informative, useful, and what's more, fun to read!

CalifJim Both enough and too much can be used this way.

Enough heat, and the mixture will explode.
Too much heat, and the mixture will explode.

So you're right that enough is really a lot like too much in this pattern. The two expressions enough and too much don't mean the same thing, but the meanings of the entire pattern in which they can occur are similar.

With enough, you focus on reaching a limit from below, perhaps through a gradual increase.
With too much, you focus only on being above the limit.

(I'm gonna use this sentence pattern a lot, I guess.)

Thank you so much!

BarbaraPA · Answer

What about the use of "enough" in patterns like "Enough of your nonsense! Be quiet!"

Is that short for "I have had enough," as in, I have had more of your nonsense than I can stand?

Feathers · Answer

Grammar GeekWhat about the use of "enough" in patterns like "Enough of your nonsense! Be quiet!"

Is that short for "I have had enough," as in, I have had more of your nonsense than I can stand?

Hi GG,

What I've gotten so far from my dictionaries is it works as pronoun in both cases, not as determiner. And that's exactly where I felt lost...!

CalifJim · Answer

In "Enough of your nonsense! Be quiet!" there's no and and will / 'll to clue the listener to a causal connection, so I'd say it does mean exactly what you say it means: I have had enough or simply, That's enough. You can force the 'causal connection' meaning with a few little changes, though. any more works better than enough in this one.

[Enough / Any more] of that nonsense, and [you'll regret it! / I'll send you flying across the room!]

CJ

enough

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