30 years of expensive

[GoodTaste]

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"I have retired from 30 years of expensive."

Source: from TikTok (Chinese version) - a Chinese guy asks Chinese fellows to translate it into Chinese. He offers no context.

The question here is whether this sentence is grammatical. It seems wrong to me because "expensive" as an adjective can't be used this way.

It should at least be:

"I have retired from 30 years of expensiveness." Or "I have retired from 30 years of being expensive." Which means that I've given up my way of squandering (for 30 years)." I am not very sure.

Is it possible that in some context "I have retired from 30 years of expensive" is grammatical? (It is not possible to me.)

 

[probus]

It is not grammatical, but at the same time it is easy to imagine hearing it. If I heard it I would suppose the speaker was just being slightly jocular. Some people talk that way, perhaps because they think it is amusing.

 

[tedmc]

Of cannot be followed by an adjective (expensive). It has to be a noun.

How about: I have retired from 30 years of extravagant living/splurging?

 

[GoodTaste]

It is not grammatical, but at the same time it is easy to imagine hearing it. If I heard it I would suppose the speaker was just being slightly jocular. Some people talk that way, perhaps because they think it is amusing.

Could you make it grammatical?

 

[probus]

Both of the ways you proposed are fine. My personal taste would be something like "I have retired from 30 years of extravagant spending."

 

[Tdol]

I've quit spending too much.