XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: omeallymd@geemail.com   
      
   On 2019-11-17 13:11:33 +0000, Julian Bradfield said:   
      
   >>   
   >   
   > That's also true. The use of shall/will and should/would is enormously   
   > variable over time and space. However, the use of shall/should as the   
   > first person of will/would was Standard English in Tolkien's day, and   
   > for more conservative speakers (such as myself) it still is to some extent.   
   > Whether "should" carries obligation depends on context and stress.   
   >   
   > "I should like to" is pretty much a fixed idiom in any case. Similarly   
   > for all other politeness uses, such as "I should be grateful if you   
   > would".   
   >   
   > But I can also say, "As an immigrant to Scotland, I *should* like   
   > haggis." Stress on the "should" means it has the obligation sense.   
   >   
   > For pure conditionality, I no longer use "should". For example, "I   
   > would eat haggis, if it weren't so heavily spiced."   
   > Looking through Letters, Tolkien varies between "I should" and "I   
   > would". Apart from set politeness phrases (like "I should like to"),   
   > I get the impression he uses "would" more with friends and family, and   
   > "should" more in formal letters. But I haven't done any stats.   
      
   But in the case of Letter #124, Tolkien is clearly differentiating   
   between the meaning of 'I want' and 'I should like', stating that it   
   would be wiser for him to say the latter. At this point in time, I   
   think Tolkien is feeling somewhat emboldened by another publisher's   
   offer to publish his two magna opera together, while feeling some   
   frustration with Allen and Unwin for not doing this, all while possibly   
   feeling a pang of guilt for seeking another publisher. Sir Stanley, I   
   believe, does not yet know about a possible competitor.   
      
   You alluded to the how Tolkien's language applies to this situation in   
   your initial post. Why "wiser"? But could you translate into American   
   English exactly what Tolkien was saying to Sir Stanley? :-)   
   --   
   Bill O'Meally   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)