Hello all,

I am reading a critique on the President Obama’s inaugural adress and there is a sentence which read

“In the peroration, which has saved many a themless speech, ...’

Why ‘many a themeless speech’, not ‘many themeless speeches’?

Any help will be appreciated.

  Una

‘Many a’ + singular noun is a common idiom in English, often used as an alternative to ‘many’ + plural noun.  There isn’t really any difference in meaning.

Wow, didn’t know that!

Thanks a million.

Una.

ACB - 01 February 2009 05:43 PM

‘Many a’ + singular noun is a common idiom in English, often used as an alternative to ‘many’ + plural noun.  There isn’t really any difference in meaning.

Having taught grammar in high school, I agree.