Timeline for “I have little money” vs. “I have a little money”
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
3 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Oct 2, 2014 at 10:00 | comment | added | TRiG | For some reason, a little money suggests inherited wealth to me too, @msouth, but that could be merely because it's the sort of phrase I associate with Agatha Christie novels. | |
| Oct 2, 2014 at 8:25 | comment | added | msouth | Part b of this answer, in particular, needs more upvoting. It's counterintuitive, but, yes, in many cases, "I have a little money" actually means "I have a sum of money substantial enough to address [something from the context]." Like "I can't make my rent. [response] I have a little money." But in another context "How can you possibly afford to retire there? It's so expensive! [response] I have a little money that my father left me." And what they mean in these cases is essentially that they have enough money for the identified need. | |
| Oct 1, 2014 at 15:34 | history | answered | TimR | CC BY-SA 3.0 |