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Q: Quote ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Quote
Category: Miscellaneous
Asked by: hank2959-ga
List Price: $25.00
Posted: 29 Mar 2005 04:25 PST
Expires: 28 Apr 2005 05:25 PDT
Question ID: 501908
I have heard "quotes" that have had the saying "exercise in fruition"
in it. Can you search and give me some examples. Also can you justify
for me that it makes sense? I might be using the wrong word.

Thanks

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 29 Mar 2005 04:36 PST
hank,

I suspect you are thinking of one or another of a closely related phrase, either:


exercise to fruition


or exercise in futility


The first is an infrequently-used word combination that means bringing
an exercise or an activity to completion.  Here's an example:

http://www.chesapeake.va.us/services/depart/fire/lepc/drill_info.htm
In November 2000, the City of Chesapeake submitted a request to the
Virginia Department of Emergency Management to participate in CHER-CAP
and was selected with the condition that surrounding local
jurisdictions would be invited to participate in all aspects of
bringing this full-scale exercise to fruition.




The second is a common phrase meaning an activity that produces no
worthwhile results.  You can see an example of its use here:


http://www.answers.com/topic/exercise

5.  An activity having a specified aspect: an undertaking that was an
exercise in futility.



On the other hand, "exercise IN fruition" is not used, except in rare
cases where it appears to be an error in the text.  I found only four
examples of this phrase on the internet, all of them appearing to be
in error:


://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2003-43,GGLD:en&q=%22exercise+in+fruition



Either of these first two uses sound like what you're looking for?  Let me know.


pafalafa-ga

Clarification of Question by hank2959-ga on 29 Mar 2005 04:55 PST
Numbers without gross is just an exercise in futility . I think
fulitity is the word I should have been using. Does is tie in better
to this quote?

Thanks
Answer  
Subject: Re: Quote
Answered By: pafalafa-ga on 29 Mar 2005 05:11 PST
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hank,

Thanks for getting back to me. 

I'm pretty sure the phrase you were looking for is "exercise in
futility" as it is the only combination of words that seems to make
sense in the context you have provided.

An exercise in futility is an activity that does produce an expected
or hoped-for or worthwhile result.  Shouting at the sky to "Stop
raining!" is an exercise in futility.


The internet is a great source for determining the popularity or
rarity of a particular phrase.

A Google search on "exercise in futility" (with the quote marks
included) produces over 100,000 results, putting it in the cateogry of
a fairly common phrase:




://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2003-43,GGLD:en&q=%22exercise+in+futility



Here are a few examples from those results:




http://www.searchengineguide.com/claiborne/2005/0311_sc1.html
SEO Without Usability -- An Exercise in Futility



http://www.objectivistcenter.org/articles/pstephens_powell-arafat-exercise-futility.asp
Powell and Arafat: An Exercise in Futility


http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=2398082&fSectionId=336&fSetId=515
Let's not make this an exercise in futility 



I hope you get the idea (if not, my efforts have been an exercise in futility!).



On the other hand, if you Google phrases like "exercise in fruition" 


://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2003-43,GGLD:en&q=%22exercise+in+fruition


or "exercise to fruition":


://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&rls=GGLD%2CGGLD%3A2003-43%2CGGLD%3Aen&q=%22exercise+to+fruition&btnG=Search


one comes up with only a handful of results, and as I mentioned
earlier, a fair number of these appear to be errors in usage.


I trust this information fully answers your question.  However, please
don't rate this answer until you have everything you need.  If you
would like any additional information, just post a Request for
Clarification to let me know how I can assist you further, and I'm at
your service.

All the best,

pafalafa-ga
hank2959-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars and gave an additional tip of: $5.00
Great response. Went out of their way give me more than I asked for.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Quote
From: pafalafa-ga on 29 Mar 2005 05:40 PST
 
Thank you kindly, Hank.  Glad to be of help.

paf

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