Search results for 'tag:Colloquialisms' matching tag 'Colloquialisms'

Re: I'm not cut out...

Kanashu — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:32:53 GMT

No really sure what your trying to say with the rest of that but "cut out to date" means that she not the sort to date. Its not so much that she not ready, but its generally used in the setting where the person who says this phrase is referring to their lack of ability or inability to date. This could also mean unable to date effectively.

The actual meaning of the phrase varies from situation to situation. The actual colloquialism in my opinion is the "cut out" if you understand that, then anything after just makes reference to that central meaning. Umm does that help?

"gonna cut me a piece of cake"

MarvinTheMartian — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:31:34 GMT

Hi,

The sentence "I'm gonna cut me a piece of cake" strikes me as something the average redneck might say, and I have no trouble accepting it as a colloquialism. On the other hand, "I'm going to cut myself a piece of cake", which should technically be more correct, doesn't seem to make any sense. In fact, I don't think I would ever use it, and I don't recall ever hearing any such sentence either (outside of the use of "pour" in "I'll pour myself a drink".) Assuming that my brain isn't "malfunctioning" again (please tell me if you think it is), what makes the former sentence more "acceptable" (note the use of quotes) than the latter?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Could Have

Cool Breeze — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:06:27 GMT

HSS
HSS

But ... as bad as it was, I learned something about myself. That I could go through something like that and survive. I mean, I know it could have been worse --- a lot worse --- but for me, it was all I could have handled at the time. And I learned from it.

Yes, and I think "and" instead of "but" is more like it. Also, "all" should be "the least"??? I can't get this part. Anybody, please, enlighten me on this.

I agree that and would be a better conjunction but I wouldn't change all to the least. All means pretty much the same as "the most" or "the maximum". The speaker is saying that he wouldn't have been able to handle a bigger burden or a greater task. The excerpt isn't particularly grammatical because it appears to be not from a written text but from someone's train of thought. This is obvious from That I could go through... That is a conjunction which normally begins a subordinate clause, not a sentence.

Another feature indicative of colloquial style is the last sentence, which begins with and. And doesn't usually begin a sentence. There are several other colloquialisms.

Re: Can I say "Me and John" or do I have to say "John and I"???

A Cornish Pasty — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:26:02 GMT

Huevos
A Cornish Pasty
in colloquial speech I would be more likely to say something like "me and John went to the pub"
Terrible, is that Cornish?

Do you mean is it part of a Cornish accent? I don't think so, but my willingness to accept it as a colloquialism could be a result of that.

Re: Got no use for...

Vorpar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:06:43 GMT

It's a particular colloquialism of an American dialect. "Got" means "has". Otherwise, this is grammatically incorrect.

Re: were going / were we going

Mr Wordy — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:47:27 GMT

She asked us where we were going to church. -- OK, or you could say "She asked us which church we were going to".

She asked us where were we going to church. -- You might get different opinions on this. It's a form that some native speakers might use, but I can't actually work out if it's an ungrammatical colloquialism or if it's grammatically sound but just rare. In any case, I don't recommend that you use it. Use either of the first two options instead.

I am not sure what you are trying to achieve by the addition of "just now". If you mean that she said it a short while ago, then it would be better at the beginning: "Just now, she asked us ..."

Re: times are a' changing

Avangi — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 07:01:09 GMT

Sure. That's an old-time rural colloquialism, used for style, implying that in the old days there were those who resisted the new-fangled ways. He was a'runnin' fast as he could go!

colloquialism

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:35:08 GMT

Hello teachers,

well, could you give us some more examples on colloquialism, language street? I mean, things that are said on everyday informal conversation. This is not about slangs or idioms, this is about the act of modifying sentence's structure.

For example:

1. Watcha wanna do = what do you want to do
2.

I've heard people usually don't say 'what do you want to do', it can make one seem like a robot, right? people say: Watcha wanna do.

I really appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance

Louis MacNeice - Sunday Morning

Mrav12 — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:28:55 GMT

Hi i have an essay to write on Louis Macneice's - Sunday Morning. I was wondering if anybody could help me analyse it as i have a very hard time reading and understanding poetry. Any help would be amazing - meaning, use of enjambment, causuras, repetition, aliteration, assonance, etc. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out.

Louis MacNeice - Sunday Morning

Down the road someone is practising scales,
The notes like little fishes vanish with a wink of tails,
Man's heart expands to tinker with his car
For this is Sunday morning, Fate's great bazaar,
Regard these means as ends, concentrate on this Now,

And you may grow to music or drive beyond Hindhead anyhow,
Take corners on two wheels until you go so fast
That you can clutch a fringe or two of the windy past,
That you can abstract this day and make it to the week of time
A small eternity, a sonnet self-contained in rhyme.

But listen, up the road, something gulps, the church spire
Open its eight bells out, skulls' mouths which will not tire
To tell how there is no music or movement which secures
Escape from the weekday time. Which deadens and endures.

Re: on/with his trumpet at the talent show

Clive — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 03:22:08 GMT

Hi,

You could say 'with', but the colloquialism is to say 'on a musical instrument'.

Best wishes, Clive