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I have read this post: How do you use the phrase "as ... as can be"?

What I have in question is whether I can use the phrase in the following ways:

I told him in as euphemistic a way as can be.

or

I told him in a way as euphemistic as can be.

CJ Dennis
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Kevin
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    The expression usually sounds at least faintly childrens-story-register, and trying to use it in any way with 'euphemistically' etc sounds ludicrous. I'm not sure that 'euphemistically' grades well in any way. I'd rephrase. – Edwin Ashworth Mar 01 '20 at 14:19
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    ...and then there's the verb tense issue (I told* him as euphemistically as could be). Maybe better to switch to I told him as diplomatically / delicately as possible.* – FumbleFingers Mar 01 '20 at 14:56
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    So - were Cinderella's sisters as ugly as can be? Or as ugly as *could* be? They both sound fine to me. – FumbleFingers Mar 01 '20 at 14:59
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    It's a fixed phrase with only an adjective variable when you say as can be. Anything else requires a less abbreviated phrase or clause than can be. You can say He was as handsome as can/could be, but not *He was as furious at her as could be; it would have to be something like as furious with her as he could be/have been and of course that loses the effect. – John Lawler Mar 01 '20 at 17:14
  • The first one functions like a prepositional phrase, and the second, adjective phrase. Both are right to me. – Ram Pillai Mar 02 '20 at 06:16

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