IpseDixit - English

Moderator:JackFrost

IpseDixit
Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby IpseDixit » 2015-09-01, 9:27

What's the difference between "all the way through" and "all through"?

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby linguoboy » 2015-09-01, 13:11

IpseDixit wrote:What's the difference between "all the way through" and "all through"?

I'd have to give it some thought. The first thing that occurs to me for "all the way through" is "listen/watch all the way through" (i.e. to the end, without fast-forwarding) whereas "all through" I want to complete with "the night", but that's because of song lyrics.
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

IpseDixit

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby IpseDixit » 2015-09-24, 18:25

Should it be "make a summary" or "do a summary"?

User avatar
Dormouse559
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:6939
Joined:2010-05-30, 0:06
Real Name:Matthew
Gender:male
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby Dormouse559 » 2015-09-24, 19:57

I think "give a summary" or "summarize". If you're writing, "write a summary" works.
N'hésite pas à corriger mes erreurs.

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby linguoboy » 2015-09-24, 21:15

Dormouse559 wrote:I think "give a summary" or "summarize". If you're writing, "write a summary" works.

I'd need more context. "Make a summary" works in some situations as well, e.g. "You can make a summary of almost anything you read, as well as what you listen to during a lecture or talk about during a meeting." "Give" doesn't work as well here and "do" wouldn't be idiomatic.
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

IpseDixit

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby IpseDixit » 2015-09-24, 21:29

linguoboy wrote:
Dormouse559 wrote:I think "give a summary" or "summarize". If you're writing, "write a summary" works.

I'd need more context. "Make a summary" works in some situations as well, e.g. "You can make a summary of almost anything you read, as well as what you listen to during a lecture or talk about during a meeting." "Give" doesn't work as well here and "do" wouldn't be idiomatic.


I was watching an interview to the GoT cast in which Nikolaj Coster-Waldau says "my mom read the book and she did a really good summary" which struck me as somehow weird:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkzodgRaze8&t=75m25s
Last edited by IpseDixit on 2015-09-24, 23:28, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby linguoboy » 2015-09-24, 21:31

IpseDixit wrote:I was watching an interview to the GoT cast and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau says "my mom read the book and she did a really good summary" which struck me as somehow weird:

Yeah, that sounds a bit off to me. "Did up" maybe, as this is practically synonymous with "make".
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

IpseDixit

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby IpseDixit » 2015-09-24, 21:53

Do up!? :hmm: I've gone through the meanings of "do up" given by Merriam-Webster (and a few other dictionaries) and I don't see how it is synonymous with "make".

transitive verb

1 to prepare (as by cleaning or repairing) for wear or use <do up a shirt>

2
a : to wrap up <do up a package>
b : put up, can

3
a : to deck out : clothe
b : to furnish with something ornamental : decorate

4 exhaust, wear out

5 fasten

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby linguoboy » 2015-09-25, 15:23

IpseDixit wrote:Do up!? :hmm: I've gone through the meanings of "do up" given by Merriam-Webster (and a few other dictionaries) and I don't see how it is synonymous with "make".

Sorry, there was an implicit "...in this context" at the end of that statement.

It's interesting to see the variation between dictionaries on this one, but Wiktionary has a definition corresponding to the usage I have in mind: "(transitive, idiomatic, informal) To execute a task or performance. This time I'm going to do it up right."
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

IpseDixit

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby IpseDixit » 2016-03-15, 17:01

What do you call the act of retracting the foreskin in order to uncover the glans?

(I'm interested in knowing the colloquial terms).

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby linguoboy » 2016-03-15, 19:40

IpseDixit wrote:What do you call the act of retracting the foreskin in order to uncover the glans?

Never needed a term for that. I would just call it "pulling back the foreskin".
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

IpseDixit

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby IpseDixit » 2016-03-29, 13:31

linguoboy wrote:Never needed a term for that. I would just call it "pulling back the foreskin".


Thankies.

Other two questions:

- What's the difference between "plan to do" and "plan on doing"?

- And between "try to do", "try doing" and "try and do"?

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby linguoboy » 2016-03-29, 14:42

IpseDixit wrote:Other two questions:

- What's the difference between "plan to do" and "plan on doing"?

- And between "try to do", "try doing" and "try and do"?

"Try and do" is just a colloquial alternative to "try to do".

As for the use of an infinitive versus a gerund in these sorts of constructions, I don't think there's any kind of straightforward rule or distinction.
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

User avatar
Dormouse559
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:6939
Joined:2010-05-30, 0:06
Real Name:Matthew
Gender:male
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby Dormouse559 » 2016-03-29, 14:47

Ninja'd! Well, a quick correction.

IpseDixit wrote:Two other questions:
N'hésite pas à corriger mes erreurs.

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby linguoboy » 2016-03-29, 16:39

linguoboy wrote:"Try and do" is just a colloquial alternative to "try to do".

Now that I run examples, I see that of course it's more complicated than that.

"What are you trying to do?"
*"What are you trying and doing?"
"I tried to do that."
*"I tried and did that."
"Every time he tries to do that..."
*"Every time he tries and does that..."

So "try and do" only works in circumstances where there is no overt inflection, i.e. present tense apart from 3S and infinitive constructions ("He'll try to do that"/"He'll try and do that").
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

IpseDixit

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby IpseDixit » 2016-03-31, 23:42

Ok.

---

So, in Italian we have this word popolino (lit: little people) to designate that chunk of the middle and working class that is intellectually incurious and socially/politically uninvolved, thus making it that section of the population that is more prone to acritically accepting the dominant narrative of the establishment. Do you have anything similar in English?

User avatar
Dormouse559
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:6939
Joined:2010-05-30, 0:06
Real Name:Matthew
Gender:male
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby Dormouse559 » 2016-04-01, 1:34

I'm thinking "the unwashed masses". You could also substitute "unwashed" with "unthinking". I have a feeling there are other choices, but they're not coming to mind right now.
N'hésite pas à corriger mes erreurs.

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby linguoboy » 2016-04-01, 3:50

"common people", "plebs", "hoi polloi", "the herd"
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

IpseDixit

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby IpseDixit » 2016-04-01, 14:34

Great, "hoi polloi" is definitely my favourite. I've also found "riffraff" which I also like.

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: IpseDixit - English

Postby linguoboy » 2016-04-01, 21:46

I think "riffraff" is too different in meaning. It suggests an assortment of troublemakers, not just people who are uncultured.
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons


Return to “English”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests