spring a trap.........

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MichalS

#531582 Mon, 23 Jun 08 08:10 PM

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 7th ed. :

spring a 'trap

1 to make a trap for catching animals close suddenly
2 to try to trick sb into doing or saying sth; to succeed in this

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English:

spring a trap

1 if an animal springs a trap, it is caught by the trap
2 to make someone say or do something by tricking them

OK.. the 2's agree in my mind. The 1's do not. In fact, I don't really understand the Oxford's definition (make a trap close suddenly ???), yet they seem to be semantically reversed. You either make a trap or you're are caught in it. Can someone make any sense of the Oxford definition no. 1? And..which out of the two 1's is right?

Thank you,
Michał

MichalS

Joined on Sat, Oct 22 2005

Poland

Junior Member (64)

Clive

#531587 Mon, 23 Jun 08 08:25 PM

Hi,

1. Normally, the animal springs the trap, eg by stepping on it. The trapper might spring the trap, eg by sticking a stick into it if he wants to test it, or by pulling a string when the animal enters the trap.

2. Consider the similarity to #1, eg I set a verbal trap by asking you a loaded question. Then you answer. Then I spring the trap and say 'Aha, gotcha!'.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (21,081)

El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

MichalS

#532349 Wed, 25 Jun 08 02:36 PM

Thank you, Clive!
So I gather that Oxford's first definition is incorrect, right?

MichalS

Philip

#532362 Wed, 25 Jun 08 02:56 PM

MichalS
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 7th ed. :

spring a 'trap

1 to make a trap for catching animals close suddenly

This isn't incorrect. It is, in fact, very close to what actually happens in the wild while trapping animals. If a desired prey gets into the trap, you wouldn't want it to close slowly. So, it is set up so that the trap closes very quickly on its own or by a person tripping something. This is springing a trap.

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (6,181)

At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen

Clive

#532391 Wed, 25 Jun 08 03:19 PM

Hi,
So I gather that Oxford's first definition is incorrect, right? No, it's correct. You have misunderstood me. What I wrote was this.

1. Normally, the animal springs the trap, eg by stepping on it. The trapper might spring the trap, eg by sticking a stick into it if he wants to test it, or by pulling a string when the animal enters the trap.

Clive

Clive

MichalS

#540351 Sat, 12 Jul 08 07:40 AM

Oh now I understand clearly :) Thanks again!

MichalS