Floating quantifiers (FQS in English exhibit both universal and language-specific properties. This paper discusses how such syntactic and semantic characteristics can be explained in terms of a constraint-based, lexical approach to the floating quanti-fier construction within the framework of Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG). Based on the assumption that FQs are base-generated VP modifiers, this paper proposes an account in which the semantic contribution of FQS consists of a “lexically retrieved” universal quantifier taking scope over the VP meaning. (Seoul National University)