...you never stopped to speak to anybody any more

[shootingstar]

Emily: Not scoldingly; finding it difficult to say. I don't like the whole change that's come over you in the last year. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but I've got to - tell the truth and shame the devil.

George: A change? - Wha - what do you mean?

Emily: Well, up to a year ago I used to like you a lot. And I used to watch you as you did everything...because we'd been friends so long .. and then you began spending all your time at baseball ... and you never stopped to speak to anybody any more. Not even to your own family you didn't ... and, George, it's a fact, you've got awful conceited and stuck-up, and all girls say so. They may not say so to your face,but that's what they say about you behind your back, and it hurts me to hear them say it, but I've got to agree with them a little. I'm sorry if it hurts your feelings ... but I can't be sorry I said it.
(Thornton Wilder, Our Town, Act II)

Hello all,
What do you take you never stopped to speak to anybody any more to mean in this context? Isn't it ambiguous here? Maybe the author intends it to sound ambiguous. To me it sounds ambiguous actually; if not, please tell me why not.
Thank you.

 

[5jj]

I see no ambiguity at all. To me the words mean what they say - 'you' no longer stopped (what you were doing) to speak to anybody.

 

[shootingstar]

But it is 'you never stopped to speak to anybody any more'. That sounds to me like 'you never stopped talking ... any more', actually.

 

[emsr2d2]

But it is 'you never stopped to speak to anybody any more'. That sounds to my me like 'you never stopped talking ... any more', actually.

That might be what it sounds like to you but it's not what it means.

I was queuing to get into the gig when one of the band members stopped to speak to me.
At a work party on Saturday night, I was really pleased when the CEO stopped to speak to me.

If we want to say "You never stopped talking", that's the only way to say it.

 

[shootingstar]

That might be what it sounds like to you but it's not what it means.

I was queuing to get into the gig when one of the band members stopped to speak to me.
At a work party on Saturday night, I was really pleased when the CEO stopped to speak to me.

If we want to say "You never stopped talking", that's the only way to say it.

Thank you very much. Then, someone stopped to speak to someone means someone makes a stop at my side/me and speaks to me, right? And that's meant here?

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you very much. Then, someone stopped to speak to someone means someone makes a stop at my side/me and speaks to me, right? And that's is meant here?

Yes, it means that and it means what 5jj said in post #2.

 

[shootingstar]

I didn't fully understand the reply #2, actually.

As to stop talking: can I say you never stopped speaking to anybody any more instead of you never stopped talking to anybody any more with almost having the same meaning?

 

[5jj]

You can.

 

[Ms. Worth]

Emily: Not scoldingly; finding it difficult to say. I don't like the whole change that's come over you in the last year. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but I've got to - tell the truth and shame the devil.

George: A change? - Wha - what do you mean?

Emily: Well, up to a year ago I used to like you a lot. And I used to watch you as you did everything...because we'd been friends so long .. and then you began spending all your time at baseball ... and you never stopped to speak to anybody any more. Not even to your own family you didn't ... and, George, it's a fact, you've got awful conceited and stuck-up, and all girls say so. They may not say so to your face,but that's what they say about you behind your back, and it hurts me to hear them say it, but I've got to agree with them a little. I'm sorry if it hurts your feelings ... but I can't be sorry I said it.
(Thornton Wilder, Our Town, Act II)

Hello all,
What do you take you never stopped to speak to anybody any more to mean in this context? Isn't it ambiguous here? Maybe the author intends it to sound ambiguous. To me it sounds ambiguous actually; if not, please tell me why not.
Thank you.

The expression is "stop to talk."

The image is of a person walking along, who then sees an old friend.
But instead of "stopping in his tracks" or "stop his walking," he just nods his head to acknowledge the person.
He should have come to a halt and exchanged a little conversation with the person, but he didn't.
Maybe he gave a friendly smile, or maybe he just flapped his hand in a "brush-off" kind of greeting.
Or maybe he did even worse by pretending he never even saw the person.
This is a social maneuver called "a cut".
https://regrom.com/2012/04/06/regency-customs-the-cut/

So the sentence says
"You never even stopped walking in order to speak to anybody ... "

In my opinion, using "any more" forces the sentence into the present tense, so it should say:
> You never stop to speak to anybody any more.

If you want to indicate that the action was in the past, not ongoing up to the present, thenI think it should say::
> You never stopped to speak to anybody in those days.
> Then you never stopped to speak to anybody.
> At that time, you never even stopped to speak to anybody.
---------------

Here is the use of the expression in a famous song:
"I was alright for a while
I could smile for a while
But I saw you last night, you held my hand so tight
As you stopped to say, "Hello"
Crying by Roy Orbison

Here's an outstanding version of Roy Orbison and k.d. lang

 

[5jj]

So the sentence says
"You never even stopped walking in order to speak to anybody ... "

In my opinion, using "any more" forces the sentence into the present tense, so it should say:
> You never stop to speak to anybody any more.

No. There is no question of the sentence being 'forced' into the present tense.

Emily says, "Well, up to a year ago I used to like you a lot. And I used to watch you as you did everything...because we'd been friends so long .. and then you began spending all your time at baseball ... and you never stopped to speak to anybody any more. Not even to your own family you didn't ...". the past-tense verbs I have put in italics show clearly that she is talking about past-time stuations.

 

[Ms. Worth]

No. There is no question of the sentence being 'forced' into the present tense.

Emily says, "Well, up to a year ago I used to like you a lot. And I used to watch you as you did everything...because we'd been friends so long .. and then you began spending all your time at baseball ... and you never stopped to speak to anybody any more. Not even to your own family you didn't ...". the past-tense verbs I have put in italics show clearly that she is talking about past-time stuations.

Yes, yes, I agree. But that is not what I'm trying to say.

What I mean is that using the words "any more" is not appropriate with the past tense (which she intended and used.)
"Any more" refers to an action that is ongoing into the present, so it should not be used in past tense contexts.

It's a good use of "any more" to say:
> You don't love me any more.
But it's a bad use to say:
> You didn't love me any more.
If you want a phrase for this past tense, don't use "any more."
Use "At that time ... " or "In those days ... " or "Then ..."
> You didn't love me then (when we were in high school together.)

You might get away with it if you mean "You stopped loving me any more," but I still think this is awkward and inappropriate.

 

[shootingstar]

What I mean is that using the words "any more" is not appropriate with the past tense (which she intended and used.)
"Any more" refers to an action that is ongoing into the present, so it should not be used in past tense contexts.

I can comprehend this point actually.

 

[emsr2d2]

Maybe we've stumbled across another AmE vs BrE difference. In BrE, there's nothing wrong with "... didn't love me anymore". The only thing wrong with "... didn't love me any more" is the use of two separate words at the end.
"Any more" refers to quantity and can be followed by "than" and the thing you're comparing it to.
"Anymore" refers to time.

You don't love me any more than Julia did.
I'm devastated that you don't love me anymore.
You didn't love me any more than Julia did.
I was devastated that you didn't love me anymore.

 

[Ms. Worth]

Longman gives examples of "not any more" and "not anymore" interchangeably, but I agree that your distinction is much better.

Using "not anymore" highlights the connotation of "nowadays," as opposed to "in those days."

not anymore | meaning of not anymore in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE

not anymore meaning, definition, what is not anymore: used when something used to happen or be...: Learn more.

www.ldoceonline.com

 

[Ms. Worth]

I can comprehend this point actually.

But to contradict myself, I would say:
> You didn't love me anymore after that (my misdeed.)
> Once I told you what I had done, you didn't love me anymore.
> After they hired a rock band to play during dinner service, I didn't go there anymore.

And throwing the idea into the future:
> If you do that, I won't love you anymore.
> If they start noisy entertainment, I won't eat there anymore.

 

[Glizdka]

I'm devastated that people don't pay attention to the difference between anymore and any more anymore. I believe it's important, or maybe it's just yet another pet peeve of mine.

Longman gives examples of "not any more" and "not anymore" interchangeably (...)

I don't want to be that guy, but it pains me to see a respectable source let it slip, but at the same time, I've seen other slips from them, so it doesn't surprise me that much anymore; I just hope they don't make any more mistakes like that in the future.

 

[probus]

Did you see post 11 @Glizdka?

I shared your opinion and in regard to AmE still do. But evidently BrE is different when it comes to anymore.

 

[Ms. Worth]

I'm devastated that people don't pay attention to the difference between anymore and any more anymore. I believe it's important, or maybe it's just yet another pet peeve of mine.

I don't want to be that guy, but it pains me to see a respectable source let it slip, but at the same time, I've seen other slips from them, so it doesn't surprise me that much anymore; I just hope they don't make any more mistakes like that in the future.

Ha! That's right.
It's like seeing a few years ago all those errors in grammar in the New Yorker..
Ouch! From flawless to egregious overnight.

Anyway, the way you explained it to me makes perfect sense, and I am adding it to my list of "Details for the Sheer Expertise of It."

 

[Ms. Worth]

Did you see post 11 @Glizdka?

I shared your opinion and in regard to AmE still do. But evidently BrE is different when it comes to anymore.

How do I determine the number of a post?
How can I find "post 11"?

 

[probus]

Imnediately below the box containing the ID of the person posting is a line giving the date and time of the post. The sequence number of the post is at the right hand end of that line.