ESL Vocabulary and Idioms

Re: the pat on the back

Takoyaki-English — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:45:24 GMT

Philip,

Thank you for the comment.

Re: the pat on the back

Philip — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:12:52 GMT

In the US, at least, we often say to a person, "Give yourself a pat on the back," meaning "you've done a good job and deserve appreciation".

Re: the pat on the back

Takoyaki-English — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:55:10 GMT

Grammer Geek,

Thank you for the response.

Re: the pat on the back

Grammar Geek — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:35:35 GMT

Yes, very often. It's obviously metaphorical. When my boss says "Thanks for your hard work on this. It looks great" I don't expect him to pat me on the pack literally, but I might say "I got a nice pat on the back from my boss today" when I got home.

PS - Welcome to the forums!

Re: the pat on the back

Takoyaki-English — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:47:33 GMT

JCDenton,

Thank you for the reply.

I wonder if "the pat on the back" is often heard in the US or England.

Re: the pat on the back

JCDenton — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:30:30 GMT

Hi,

Thank you for the pat on the back. I'll do my best = Thank you for your words of praise/approval. I'll do my best.

regards

the pat on the back

Takoyaki-English — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:15:42 GMT

Hello.

A: Thank you for your efforts. I know you're trying hard to do a good job.

B: Thank you for the pat on the back. I'll do my best.

What does "the pat on the back" mean?