A pretty little island

[Glizdka]

This is a follow-up to a thread I started a few days ago. I'm stuck with this one. I could use your help.

What does a pretty little island mean? Does it mean the island is both pretty and little? Does it mean the island is pretty/quite little, not necessarily pretty? Can it mean either, depending on the context?

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If I replace pretty and little with beautiful and small respectively, in different combinations, will it change your answer?

A) It's a pretty little island.
B) It's a pretty small island.
C) It's a beautiful little island.
D) It's a beautiful small island.

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I'd say A means either. B too means either. C only means the island is both pretty and little. D too only means the island is both pretty and little.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

This is a follow-up to a thread I started a few days ago. I'm stuck with this one. I could use your help.

What does a pretty little island mean? Does it mean the island is both pretty and little? Does it mean the island is pretty/quite little, not necessarily pretty? Can it mean either, depending on the context?

---

If I replace pretty and little with beautiful and small respectively, in different combinations, will it change your answer?

A) It's a pretty little island.

It's not very big. It's fairly little.

OR: It's pretty, and it's little.

B) It's a pretty small island.

It's not very big. It's fairly small.

OR: It's pretty, and it's small.

C) It's a beautiful little island.

It's beautiful, and it's little.

D) It's a beautiful small island.

It's beautiful, and it's small.

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I'd say A means either. B too means either. C only means the island is both pretty and little. D too only means the island is both pretty and little.

As you know, pretty has two meanings. In A and B, it's not clear which you mean.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

PS: Context is everything:

- Let's go there for our honeymoon. It's a pretty little Island.

- I don't think a jet this big can land there. It's a pretty little island.

 

[jutfrank]

A: Let's go there for our honeymoon. It's a pretty little island.
B: You like little islands?
A: No, I mean it's pretty. Don't you think it's pretty?
B: A little, I suppose, come to think about it. It's a little pretty.
A: Didn't you see the brochure? It looked pretty pretty from the photos.
B: I couldn't really see. The photos were pretty little.
A: Yes, they were a little little.

(I'll give up now).

 

[Glizdka]

And just as I was going to ask further questions about pretty little/little pretty/pretty pretty/little little, this happened.

Not all heroes wear capes; some wear a cloak (because it's both a cape and a hood).

 

[Rover_KE]

To me, a pretty little island only means it's pretty and small, and a pretty small island only means it's fairly small.

 

[probus]

A: Let's go there for our honeymoon. It's a pretty little island.
B: You like little islands?
A: No, I mean it's pretty. Don't you think it's pretty?
B: A little, I suppose, come to think about it. It's a little pretty.
A: Didn't you see the brochure? It looked pretty pretty from the photos.
B: I couldn't really see. The photos were pretty little.
A: Yes, they were a little little.

(I'll give up now).

Glizdka, if you are ever wondering what "tour de force" means, you have a superb example right there.

 

[GoesStation]

Glizdka, if you are ever wondering what "tour de force" means, you have a superb example right there.

It is indeed a pretty little example.