Usage - lone lonely loner

Question

Is it proper to call someone a lone lonely loner?

I take lone to mean the only, lonely to mean feeling sad and loner to mean someone who prefers being alone. So, the usage kind of makes sense to me. Does it actually or is it just redundant word play?

Answer 1

The phrase is grammatically sound, but whether it is proper to so call someone is an issue of etiquette or of particular facts rather than of language, as noted in a later paragraph.

The definitions of lonely include both "unhappy by feelings of loneliness" and "without companions; solitary" so there is an interpretation in which lone is redundant with lonely, in addition to the interpretation you gave.

Proper also has multiple meanings, including both "suited or acceptable to the purpose or circumstances; fit, suitable" and "following the established standards of behavior or manners; correct or decorous." Whether your phrase is proper in the first sense depends on the facts of the situtation; and for the second sense, mostly on etiquette and in part on adhering to convention. It is unconventional or uncommon to call someone a "lone lonely loner" so in that sense perhaps a touch improper to do so.

Answer 2

It might make a better word play to say "the only lonely loner", with only and lonely rhyming and lonely and loner contrasting (as jwpat7 and CJM have noted). The (playful) implication would be (imho) that while, normally a loner wouldn't be lonely, this one is.

Answer 3

As jwpat7 says, it is grammatically sound, but outside of poetic licence, I'm not sure I would recommend it.

Personally, I'd object to lonely and loner together. Lonely = feeling sad because one is alone, because one seeks company. Whereas you rightly suggest a loner prefers being alone.

You could argue that a loner might be such because they have become accustomed to being alone, and perhaps find it difficult to function alongside others, but in general, I would assume a loner actually prefers to being alone, and thus would unlikely be lonely.

If we are talking of literature, poetry and lyrics, then it's fair game. Otherwise, I'd simplify the phrase...