"a nonsense"

[M56]

Could you take a look at these examples of the expression "a nonsense" and tell me what you think?

condemned the concept of large mergers as a nonsense. But senior directors at Coopers yesterday told

they develop, makes many of the downgradings a nonsense. Majors, such as Land Securities and MEPC,

of courage and of improvisation that made a nonsense of the enemy's numerical and material superiority

it was so different that comparison was a nonsense. The youngsters were also enthusiastic, but

. "It's a paradox, it's a nonsense." Though over the years, from Southend to

, the question seemed to me something of a nonsense, as it involved the square root of a

kind of entry ticket for citizenship was always a nonsense: too many are able to dodge paying it

security for several generations. This makes a nonsense of any incentive scheme. The penalty for

reserves was mugged by statistical gremlins, making a nonsense of some of the numbers. Sorry. This

--; it dawned on me that he'd made a nonsense of my belief in him." Ever since Charity

different dimension of time: no. It was a nonsense they tried to teach me when I first made records

said he was satisfied the allegations were "a nonsense". But he added that they could have

AC. This was later proved to be a nonsense as the Hadfield-Manchester section was converted a couple of

have the same as the child in front making a nonsense of the notion of choice. There are a great

http://view.byu.edu/

[Tdol]

It's an interesting usage, but can it be used in the plural?

[M56]

It's an interesting usage, but can it be used in the plural?

According to the Cambridge International Dictionary it can.


I'm also wondering if it isn't being used adjectively and not as a noun. Take a look at this post I made on another forum:

<<Here, the omission seems to be the noun "action", which refers to the action of public shaming (elsewhere in the dialogue).

MAXINE McKEW: Just a final point, if you would, Susan Pascoe.

On this question - as Denis Fitzgerald keeps saying - of public shaming, can you guarantee you can avoid that?


SUSAN PASCOE: I actually think that's a nonsense.>>

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2002/s698557.htm

In examples like this the omission seems to be obvious:

What do you think of the coach's decision on the new striker?

I think it's a nonsense (decision).

[Casiopea]

I believe it's an instantiated use of a generic noun. Generic nouns can be instantiated by *members* of the class, like this,

Generic use: Charles is prince.
=>There is a class "Prince" and it consists of princes.

Instantiated use: Charles is a prince.
=> Charles is a separate and distinct instantiation of another instance of class "Prince". That is, Charles is *a member of* the class "Man".
The idea is this: a generic use points to the class, whereas an instantiated use points to members of that class, and as members (i.e., a count noun) the reference must be definite or indefinite, like this,

Generic use: X is nonsense.
=>X is a member of the class "Nonsense"

Instantiated use: X is a nonsense.
=> X is a separate and distinct instantiation of another instance of class "nonsense". That is, X is *a member of* the class "Nonsense".


Idea adopted from http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/newworldtranslation/qeosqualitative.htm