Linguaphile wrote:...
Thanks!
Linguaphile wrote:Woods wrote:3. Is it understandable if you say that somebody goes home and tries to "melt it", meaning that they need time to understand something that has been said or has happened to them? If not, what would you replace with?
You could say someone goes home and "reflects on it", "thinks it over", "takes/needs time to let it sink in". They aren't exactly the same. With "reflect" and "think it over", the person might be making a decision or might just be trying to understand a perspective; the context often involves a person changing their mind or making up their mind about something. "Let it sink in" refers more to surprising or shocking information that the person needs some time to get used to in order to understand what they have been told. Maybe when they are first told the information, they don't really believe it, or they are too overwhelmed at that time to really understand it, so they need time for it to sink in before they will fully believe and/or understand it. I think this is probably what you are looking for? It's often used with "let", so either "...goes home and lets it sink in" / "...goes home to let it sink in" or "goes home and tries to let it sink in" / "...goes home and tries to give it time to sink in" (if you want to keep the word "tries" in there).
So
"melt it" wouldn't be understood even if it's unidiomatic? Actually I am not sure where is the line between trying to say things in a way nobody has said them before and sounding non-native. That's why I'm asking questions like that.
After this and that happens, he goes home and tries to let it sink in before he decides what to do next. - I think that sounds good indeed. It doesn't have a negative connotation, does it?
I have some more questions:
1)
Pretty messed-up a situation.Is "messed-up" attributive to "situation" if the latter comes with an indefinite article?
I am asking because I'm wondering if I should put the hyphen.
2) synonyms of "dancing"
dancing, shaking, moving - what other verbs or nouns could be used for dancing in a modern, night-club context?
I'm working on one paragraph where the word is used like ten times and I figured I'm very short of ways to replace it.
I would prefer some classier words to modern-pop-culture and ghetto slang, however it should be something that would be understood in the context of dancing in a night club. I can't think of anything, and synonym dictionaries are not very helpful.
3)
"In your words, you are provocative" - is this understood as "when you speak, you are provocative" or "you are saying that you are provocative"? Or can it be both? If it's the latter, will saying "with your words, you are provocative" instead of "in your words..." make it the former?
4) How is the phrase
"grab somebody by the crotch" understood ? If you hear that somebody grabs someone by the crotch, will you imagine that somebody pulls someone in an overtly sexual way by grabbing their bottom and pulling them close to themselves for example, or that they're putting their hand on their genitals?
5)
a dimwit - according to dictionaries, it's a stupid person, but I am not sure to understand the connotations
I remember someone advising "don't use words like 'retarded,'" because it might be offending to people with mental disadvantages.
So in a phrase of the kind
"if you are an idiot, ..." followed by instructions about something extra to think about or consider that people are usually expected to know by common sense, would it be convenient to replace "idiot" with "dimwit"? And are there other words that you might suggest?