as you so chose

[navi tasan]

1) Sure, I could see there was more to be made in shifting the white or the brown powder, as you so chose, but, you see, my jam, it doesn't kill anyone, and I like that.

2) Sure, I could see there was more to be made in shifting the white or the brown powder, as you chose, but, you see, my jam, it doesn't k*ll anyone, and I like that.

3) Sure, I could see there was more to be made in shifting the white or the brown powder, as you chose to do, but, you see, my jam, it doesn't kill anyone, and I like that.


Sentence '1' is from the movie 'The Gentlemen', written and directed by Guy Ritchie.

I was wondering if the phrase 'as you so chose' had been used correctly in that sentence. I also wanted to see if the other two versions worked.

You can find the original sentences here:

Gentlemen, The (2019) - Transcripts - Forever Dreaming

Get me in ten minutes, Ray. Boss. Bobby. Boss? I'll have a pint and a pickled egg. Coming straight up. If you wish to be the king of the jungle, it's not enough

transcripts.foreverdreaming.org

or here:

The Gentlemen Best Quotes - 'There's only one rule in this jungle!'

Crime comedy directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie. The story follows American expat Mickey Pearson (Matthew...

www.moviequotesandmore.com

 

[Barque]

I was wondering if the phrase 'as you so chose' had been used correctly in that sentence.

I find it unusual; maybe that's just me. Your option 2, "as you chose", sounds better to me.

The third, "as you chose to do", doesn't work. It suggests the choice had actually been made in a particular situation. He doesn't mean that. He's just saying he could choose either.

 

[navi tasan]

Thank you very much, Barque,

He is actually saying that this is what the other guy chose. The choice had been made and the guy had chosen to move the brown or the white powder (actually I think he had made the choice to move both).

The whole thing refers to the past.

I could choose what you chose. I didn't.

He is not giving the other person a choice now. He is talking about the choice the other person made in the past. The other person chose to shift powder. The speaker on the other hand chose to sell marijuana. The powders kill people. Marijuana does not.

I could have sold the brown powder or the white powder, as you chose to do, but I stuck to dealing in marijuana.

 

[Barque]

Ah I see. In that case your option 3 works.

 

[emsr2d2]

I think there's a better use of your time than questioning the correctness of movie dialogue written by native speakers. To be honest, it's up there with song lyrics - don't expect 100% grammatical English.

 

[jutfrank]

Sentence 1 is fine as it is, obviously. The script was written by a native speaker. The word so substitutes for the ellipted verb phrase 'to shift the brown or white powder'.

Sentence 3 is equivalent in meaning, where to do substitutes for the same verb phrase. Sentence 2 doesn't really work.

 

[Barque]

Hmm. Given the context in post 3, I think sentences 2 and 3 sound more appropriate than 1.

 

[jutfrank]

Hmm. Given the context in post 3, I think sentences 2 and 3 sound more appropriate than 1.

Why is that?

 

[Barque]

Well, he's in effect saying, "I decided not to do what you chose to do".

So "as you so chose" doesn't seem as natural to me as "as you chose to do" or "as you chose".

 

[jutfrank]

Well, he's in effect saying, "I decided not to do what you chose to do".

Right.

So "as you so chose" doesn't seem as natural to me as "as you chose to do" or "as you chose".

Number 2 (as you chose) seems incomplete to me without the substitute for the verb phrase.