Search results for 'tag:Phrasal verbs tag:Idioms' matching tags 'Phrasal verbs' and 'Idioms'

Re: question about hillary's speech

nona the brit — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:07:00 GMT

Phew, that's a lot of questions!

1. what does fabric mean? an underlying structure? can we use any other words intead of "fabric"? You could certainly use a different metaphor. In this metaphor though, 'fabric' is the word used. You have pretty much got the meaning - imagine lots of threads being woven together.

2. She is not doing all this for her own benefit but her daughters.

3. Its another metaphor. Imagine sitting in the front row of a theatre or cinema.

4. 'Live the dream' is quite a common idiom.

5. Not up to something = not capable of doing it.

6. You could phrase it either way. She is not personally providing the services, so she wants to get someone else to do it. Or, you could think that as a society as a whole, we are providing the services. Kust depends on your point of view.

7. Yes, but this sounds good as it is.

8. the contestants are so close together you can't predict you will win. Whoever wins will do so by a verysmall margin.

9. When you're knocked down, get right back up. The whole phrase is a metaphor. If you suffer a defeat/disadvantage, you should not give up - just try even harder!

10. No, she is talking about ones who died because of their efforts to end slavery. They didn't see the end of it. They hoped to - that was why they did what they did.

11. grow up - common phrasal verb meaning to grow from a child to an adult.

12. I don't know enough about US election process. It could be a special 'department' name for her staff or she might just be complimenting her staff (I would have assumed the latter).

13. While.

14. Count my/your blessings. A common idiom.

Re: prepositions after verbs

CalifJim — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:11:22 GMT

Anonymous
Is there any general rule for prepositions after verbs?

You are referring, of course, to those adverbial particles that create phrasal verbs. No. There is no general rule. The most common are in, out, on, off, up, down, away, and back. Some of these have more than one core meaning. For example up can suggest wakefulness: I woke up. I am up for the day. But it can also suggest verticality: I stood up. I am up on my feet. Sometimes they modify the preceding verb with a very literal meaning of the particle. (Put the cat out.) More frequently the meaning has to be taken figuratively. (Put the candle out.) Often the phrasal verb is so fixed into an idiom by usage that the original meaning of the components is no clue at all to the meaning of the combination. (I hope I'm not putting you out with this request.)

Re: phrasal verb

Mister Micawber — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 21:42:13 GMT

.
1-- It takes practice. There are also long lists of phrasal verbs available in grammar texts and ON LINE.

2-- Yes, they are a kind of idiom.

Re: expect to be waited on hand and foot

Maple — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:13:22 GMT

CalifJim
Hi, Maple.

You're parsing this wrong. It's waited on as a unit -- past participle of an inseparable phrasal verb to wait on meaning served.

I love others to give me all the things I need. I love others to run and fetch things for me. I love others to serve me. = I love to be waited on.

Note the relationship to waiter -- a server in a restaurant. The waiter waits on the customers.

The expression as a whole is an idiom. to wait on (someone) hand and foot. Adding hand and foot adds the idea of extreme attention to every little need. The person serving does everything possible to please the other, using hands to present needed things, using feet to run and fetch things for the other.

When you say it, group waited and on together and pause slightly. Then say hand and foot. Don't group it as on hand and foot.

Hi, CJ, I think I get it now.

It reminds me that long ago, I read one of your discussions about whether we can say we know the word out and blue, if we haven't got the least idea of what "out of blue" means. Same kind of problem.

It is very unusual to speak of an inanimate like a tree as 'being waited on', however!

As to this point, the whole article is kinda a metaphor; they're comparing plant husbandry with child education.

Thanks and Regards!

Maple

Re: expect to be waited on hand and foot

CalifJim — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:35:31 GMT

Hi, Maple.

You're parsing this wrong. It's waited on as a unit -- past participle of an inseparable phrasal verb to wait on meaning served.

I love others to give me all the things I need. I love others to run and fetch things for me. I love others to serve me. = I love to be waited on.

Note the relationship to waiter -- a server in a restaurant. The waiter waits on the customers.

The expression as a whole is an idiom. to wait on (someone) hand and foot. Adding hand and foot adds the idea of extreme attention to every little need. The person serving does everything possible to please the other, using hands to present needed things, using feet to run and fetch things for the other.

When you say it, group waited and on together and pause slightly. Then say hand and foot. Don't group it as on hand and foot.

It is very unusual to speak of an inanimate like a tree as 'being waited on', however!

2008 slang words thread

David Little — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:33:32 GMT

Dear friends
Greetings and A happy and properous NewYear!
May God gives you all you need and want in this coming year.May your English endeavors succeed and touch the elite level.
Shall we have a list of slang words or idiomatic expressions such as rip-off,bunk,hit on her,whats up,down with/for etc on this thread from time to time.Native speakers please help us by giving any contributions in the way of mostly used or popular slang words,idioms,phrasal verbs on this thread.
Thank you.

Just thought of this small present to you all:

http://www.box.net/shared/pjaefrgcgo
A great inspirational wallpaper!

Re: How do I learn all those dioms and phrasal verbs used in American movie

Mister Micawber — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 12:09:58 GMT

Ask here.
Search the internet.
Ask your friends.
Buy some English idiom books.
Write them down.
Practice using them.
Etc.

How do I learn all those dioms and phrasal verbs used in American movies

David Little — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:56:21 GMT

Greetings friends
I am continually watching some American movies.Though I have started to understand fairly what they talk in the movie,I just couldn"t understand some of the slangs,idioms and phrasal verbs they use.Is their any effective way to learn those slangs which are by the way isn"t in my dictionaries.
Thank you.

Re: Will you suggest me an effective way to learn Idioms and phrases

A Cornish Pasty — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 14:12:19 GMT

I don't know where you are from so you may or may not have this feature in your own language:

Because French has noun genders (masculine and feminine), French schoolchildren learn all their nouns with the article, for example "le nez", "la bouche", so they always know what gender the word has. This is in contrast to English-speaking schoolchildren who just learn "nose", "mouth".

It's just an idea that I thought of while reading your post but you could try to use this method for learning phrasal verbs. Always remember that there's two parts and without the final part it can change all meaning. If you hear "take off", don't just learn "take" but think of it as one entire verb "take off".

I hope this helps a bit...

Will you suggest me an effective way to learn Idioms and phrases

David Little — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 12:33:42 GMT

Greetings friends
I have this problem with phrasal verbs and Idioms and phrases.I would learn a new Phrasal verb from a movie and when I try to use it I forget the other part of that phrasal verb.For instance,I"ll confuse whether its "off" or "out" or "away" thats would be used along with that verb.Would you suggest me an effective way to get that "Feel" for a phrasal verb that I learn rather than just memorizing it blindly.
Thank you.