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[Rodney Huddleston Geoffrey K Pullum. (2017). The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. p.527.]

Adjectives and adverbs are numerous in English; there are many thousands of each, and they are very frequent in use: almost every sentence of more than but trivial length contains adjectives and/or adverbs.

Is this a fixed usage? Or are some elements omitted?

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  • The word "but" here means "only". I don't believe omitting it changes the meaning of this sentence.
    – Peter
    Commented Apr 8 at 13:29
  • 1
    Very awkward "more than but" They may be grammarians but they sure can't write.
    – Lambie
    Commented Apr 8 at 15:07
  • I think this locution may be more common in Edinburgh than it is in Washington D.C.
    – TimR
    Commented Apr 8 at 18:12

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The grammar is fine, and nothing is omitted. 'But' can mean 'only' - a boy of but seven years, a walk of but ten yards. This usage is probably seen as old-fashioned by many people.

The sentence is discussing 'any sentence of more than only trivial length'. The word 'only' serves to emphasise the smallness of the length, and can be omitted.

but adverb (ONLY)
formal
only; just:
She's but a young girl!

But (Cambridge Dictionary)

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    more than only trivial length is just as awkward in my book but your explanation is good. They just ain't writers. And make reading their book very tiresome.
    – Lambie
    Commented Apr 8 at 15:09
  • @Lambie - Criticising Huddleston & Pullum? Wash your mouth out!
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Apr 8 at 15:35
  • Actually, I call them Huddle and Puddle or Huddlum and Pudlum. You could at least show that you are being funny, innit?// [By the way, in a police procedural, they were following a car and kept saying the car was doing reciprocal? Is that British copper parlance for summat? Thanks, I will delete your answer.]
    – Lambie
    Commented Apr 8 at 15:40
  • @Lambie - I gather that someone called de Haan had the temerity to criticise them in the early 2000s, and they, unusually, answered back. Perhaps this is old hat?
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Apr 8 at 15:46
  • @Lambie - can't help with the 'reciprocal' thing, sorry.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Apr 8 at 15:52

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