All 11 Uses of
attribute
in
The Remains of the Day
- The fact that my attitude to this same suggestion underwent a change over the following days - indeed, that the notion of a trip to the West Country took an ever increasing hold on my thoughts - is no doubt substantially attributable to - and why should I hide it?†
Chpt Pro. (definition 1)
- Who knows how many quarrels, false accusations, unnecessary dismissals, how many promising careers cut short can be attributed to a butler's slovenliness at the stage of drawing up the staff plan?
Chpt Pro. (definition 1)attributed = credited (pointed to as the cause of something)
- As it was, I believe my judgement proved quite sound on the question of timing; the fact that things turned out as they did is entirely attributable to an error of judgement in another direction altogether.†
Chpt Pro. (definition 1)
- I realize that if one looks at the matter objectively, one has to concede my father lacked various attributes one may normally expect in a great butler.†
Chpt 1e - (definition 1)
- But those same absent attributes, I would argue, are every time those of a superficial and decorative order, attributes that are attractive, no doubt, as icing on the cake, but are not pertaining to what is really essential.†
Chpt 1e - (definition 1)
- But those same absent attributes, I would argue, are every time those of a superficial and decorative order, attributes that are attractive, no doubt, as icing on the cake, but are not pertaining to what is really essential.†
Chpt 1e - (definition 1)
- I refer to things such as good accent and command of language, general knowledge on wide-ranging topics such as falconing or newt-mating - attributes none of which my father could have boasted.†
Chpt 1e - (definition 1)
- Furthermore, it must be remembered that my father was a butler of an earlier generation who began his career at a time when such attributes were not considered proper, let alone desirable in a butler.†
Chpt 1e - (definition 2)
- I was quite prepared to forgive the couple, however, for it was clear they were of diligent hard-working habits, and the noise, I am sure, was all attributable to this fact.†
Chpt 3m - (definition 1)
- The fact that I am now ... at the mercy of Mr and Mrs Taylor's generosity on this night, is attributable to one foolish, infuriatingly simple oversight:
Chpt 3e - (definition 1) *attributable = traceable (caused by)standard suffix: The suffix "-able" means able to be. This is the same pattern you see in words like breakable, understandable, and comfortable.
- For all that, it has never been my position that good accent and command of language are not attractive attributes, and I always considered it my duty to develop them as best I could.
Chpt 3e - (definition 2) *attributes = characteristics (of something or someone)
Definitions:
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(1) (attribute as in: I attribute it to...) to credit (a source for something)in two typical senses:
- "I attribute it to her work." -- to say who or what made something happen
- "Remember to attribute any quotations in your paper." -- indicate the source of a quotation or idea
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(2) (attribute as in: It is an attribute of...) a characteristic (of something or someone)