Opposite...From or To? 1

[MeGustaXL]

When Charlie's ears stopped ringing, he found that the side of his head [red]opposite to[/red] the blow had a livid bruise...

or...

When Charlie's ears stopped ringing, he found that the side of his head [red]opposite from[/red] the blow had a livid bruise...

or even...

When Charlie's ears stopped ringing, he found that the side of his head [red]opposite[/red] the blow had a livid bruise...

Which is correct / more correct / correct-est / least wrong?


Chris

When his pin is pulled, Mr Grenade is not our friend - USMC Infantry Manual

 

[Grenage]

I would personally use the last of the three, but don't have a problem with the first two; from/to are just a little superfluous. Using either "to" or "from" is essentially the same, in a roundabout way.

Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[MeGustaXL]

Thanks Grenage, especially for such a quick reply!

Hmmm... Yes, I sort of agree with you in a way. That last one was more of an afterthought really, just trying it out to get the feel of another way of saying it.

I used have this (internal) debate over 'different from' versus 'different to', and I have now convinced myself that since 'Different' implies divergence, 'different from' must be correct.

Now I've made myself confused, because I originally preferred 'opposite to', simply because one is 'opposed to' an idea, rather than 'opposed from' it...

Chris

When his pin is pulled, Mr Grenade is not our friend - USMC Infantry Manual

 

[Grenage]

Ah yes, you have a point there. I would still use the word on it's own, I think. For example: "I threw a stick and the dog ran in the opposite direction!" or "The pub is opposite the post office". While you could put from/to in the latter example, still think it to be superfluous.

Of course, I fully expect someone to come along and trounce my logic with examples and links.

Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[MeGustaXL]

I threw a stick and the dog ran in the opposite direction...[red]to the one in which I threw the stick[/red]

I threw a stick and the dog ran in the opposite direction...[red]from the one I was expecting[/red]

Chris

When his pin is pulled, Mr Grenade is not our friend - USMC Infantry Manual

 

[MeGustaXL]

Chris

Who cares! Just stop hitting my head!!! - Charlie

 

[2ffat]

I like

When Charlie's ears stopped ringing, he found that the side of his head opposite the blow had a livid bruise...

the best. As has been mentioned, it is the clearest.


I also prefer

I threw a stick and the dog ran in the opposite direction...to the one in which I threw the stick

since you don't qualify which direction you were expecting the dog to run. I realize that most people would expect the dog to run after the stick but did you? That isn't specified. The first quote is clearer.


James P. Cottingham
-----------------------------------------
^{I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229!}

 

[pinkgecko]

I threw a stick and the dog ran in the opposite direction!

The pub is opposite the post office.

I don't think those two examples really define the difference. I don't know the terminology, but to me, it seems that in the first example, "opposite" is an adjective defining direction, where in the second case, "opposite" is a noun(?).

When Charlie's ears stopped ringing, he found that the side of his head opposite to the blow had a livid bruise...

When Charlie's ears stopped ringing, he found that the side of his head opposite from the blow had a livid bruise...

When Charlie's ears stopped ringing, he found that the side of his head opposite the blow had a livid bruise...

In these three quotes, it seems that opposite is used in a directional sense. So I would say that all three are incorrect - you don't say "side of his head east to the blow", "side of his head east from the blow", or "side of his head east the blow." I'm not a grammar king by any means, but maybe "opposite of" would be more consistent with other directional references.


[blue]Never listen to your customers. They were dumb enough to buy your product, so they have no credibility. - Dogbert[/blue]

 

[kjv1611]

Well, I don't know about the whole to/from debate here (I would lean more wards neither, as previously mentinoed), but I do know this:

If you hadn't thrown the stick in the first place, the dog would've stayed put, and Charlie's ears would not have been ringing.



--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[IknowMe]

maybe

When Charlie's ears stopped ringing, he found that the side of his head opposite of the blow had a livid bruise...


maybe not

Wow, I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time.
I think I've forgotten this before.

 

[cjelec]

... opposite to the blow ..." sounds right to me,
But so does "opposite the blow".

 

[Ed2020]

'Opposite from' is never correct as far as I'm aware.

From Fowler's Modern English Usage:

As an djective denoting position, 'opposite' is followed by 'to' (Two people directly opposite to each other); it is also used with the same meaning as a preposition without 'to' (Two people directly opposite each other). As a noun, 'opposite' is followed by 'of' (The effect was the opposite of what was intended).

Ed Metcalfe.

Please do not feed the trolls.....

 

[MeGustaXL]

Thank you Ed2020, that's sealed it for me; Fowler is the authority I was seeking.

Full marks to cjelec too, methinks?

Close it?

Chris

I went to a shop to buy a watch. The bloke said "Analogue?" I said "No thanks, just the watch!" - Tommy Cooper