Re: Terrified of [was Re: Regret the error]

In article <n2fe02pliaalb363t2ggieli6rie512blh@xxxxxxx>,
Wood Avens <woodavens@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Thu, 02 Mar 2006 18:23:27 GMT, "Maria Conlon"
<maria.c-b@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"Terrified of" or "terrified by"? I would say the latter, but wonder if
this is a pondian thing.

My instinctive response is that the two mean slightly different
things. I'm having a hard time putting my finger on the precise
difference, though.

"Terrified by ..." suggests that you go pale and run if a lawyer comes
into the room, perhaps, whereas "of" is more a fear of having to
become involved with one in any way.

I would have said that "terrified of" means permanently afraid of all lawyers,
whatever they do or don't do; "terrified by" means terrified on some particular
occasion (or perhaps on regular occasions) as a consequence of some
particular action by a lawyer or lawyers.

"Terrified of spiders" is standard arachnophobia; "terrified by spiders" is
what happens in a horror film.

Katy
.

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