― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 28 August 2004 15:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― Craig Gilchrist, Saturday, 28 August 2004 15:34 (nineteen years ago) link
― Maria D. (Maria D.), Saturday, 28 August 2004 15:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― Craig Gilchrist, Saturday, 28 August 2004 15:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― Maria D. (Maria D.), Saturday, 28 August 2004 16:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 28 August 2004 16:14 (nineteen years ago) link
If you *could* care less, then you care at least a little bit, sort of defeating the point of the phrase, no?
― paulhw (paulhw), Saturday, 28 August 2004 17:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 28 August 2004 17:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 28 August 2004 17:51 (nineteen years ago) link
In the US we spell it how it sounds, too. Rhymes with "bomb."
― jaymc (jaymc), Saturday, 28 August 2004 18:18 (nineteen years ago) link
A friend of mine who lives in the US says she causes some surprise with her constant use of the word "fortnight". Apparently it's not a partivualrly commonly used word. It may be known but rarely used. In the uk everyone pretty much says fortnight all the time and "two weeks" not so much.
Also everyone in my family would use "fall pregnant"/ "fell pregnant".
― jed_ (jed), Saturday, 28 August 2004 18:47 (nineteen years ago) link
think that in "fall pregnant" and "fall ill" the word "fall" is a form of the verb "befall" - as in whatever befalls you, ie whatever happens to you.
befall/befell itself has mainly negative connotations so im sure J_T_H was pretty OTM in his first coment. whatever befalls you doesnt really mean whatever happens to you but whatever bad thing that happens to you, no?
― jed_ (jed), Saturday, 28 August 2004 18:54 (nineteen years ago) link
SYLLABICATION:be·fall
PRONUNCIATION: b-fôl
VERB:Inflected forms: be·fell (-fl), be·fall·en (-fôln), be·fall·ing, be·falls
INTRANSITIVE VERB: To come to pass; happen.
TRANSITIVE VERB: To happen to. See synonyms at happen.
ETYMOLOGY:Middle English bifallen, from Old English befeallan, to fall.
― jed_ (jed), Saturday, 28 August 2004 18:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― mei (mei), Saturday, 28 August 2004 19:16 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 29 August 2004 00:15 (nineteen years ago) link
I find it strange how Americans say "I could care less" instead of "I couldn't..."
I'm actually glad to hear this brought up. Speaking as an American, I remember trying to understand this phrase as a child, and this paradox made me very confused.
― Bimble (bimble), Sunday, 29 August 2004 01:10 (nineteen years ago) link
OK, I know I'm not an English speaker and I always laugh at the BBC's use of "more soon!" in the scrolling headlines thing (as in "200 dead - more soon!" (woohoo!), but I'm really not convinced that "satisfied" is the best choice here.
What you say?
― StanM (StanM), Thursday, 29 December 2005 09:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 29 December 2005 10:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 29 December 2005 10:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 29 December 2005 10:38 (eighteen years ago) link
The former is definitely not right -- I've heard "piles" used in that manner countless times. (Well, not countless, but you know.) And I'm certain I've heard the latter a few times, at least in that annoying business-buzzphrase way (along with "repurpose" and the annoying non-technical use of "bandwidth").
― phil d. (Phil D.), Thursday, 29 December 2005 20:51 (eighteen years ago) link
A lot of value-neutral words have gotten turned around like that. Cf "awesome" and "terrific," which should have much more distinct meanings than the superlative/"good" category we put them in. "Satisfied" still carries that whole "sufficient" meaning in a lot of our usage, but it's collapsing into meaning "sufficiently pleasing to me," which it shouldn't, necessarily.
It's also a popular dueling word!
― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 29 December 2005 21:02 (eighteen years ago) link
What figure of speech do I use in English to describe someone who is under scrutiny, receiving criticism (whether justified or not) or who has bad luck several times in a short space of time?
Ie. in Dutch we say someone like that is "in the damned corner", or "the corner where the punches are being dealt". Is there an English equivalent for this?
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 15 September 2014 16:57 (nine years ago) link
you can be "dogged by misfortune" or if there's a more active campaign of criticism you might be being "hounded" by the Press etc.
something like that?
― Daphnis Celesta, Monday, 15 September 2014 17:03 (nine years ago) link
a boxing analogy like the Dutch one might be "on the ropes"?
― Daphnis Celesta, Monday, 15 September 2014 17:04 (nine years ago) link
maybe 'behind the eight ball'? (NB I like this expression but have never heard it used in real life)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_pool#.22Behind_the_eight_ball.22
― a puddle of quivering 501s (soref), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:05 (nine years ago) link
'under the cosh'?
― john wahey (NickB), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:08 (nine years ago) link
Thanks for the suggestions! Daphnis, I think 'hounded' is a bit too strong, too active. What I mean more is someone you might feel sorry for, like : boy, he's really getting his share lately.
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:12 (nine years ago) link
I love under the cosh! Good one!
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:13 (nine years ago) link
Beleaguered?
― emil.y, Monday, 15 September 2014 17:18 (nine years ago) link
'in the shit'
― john wahey (NickB), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:19 (nine years ago) link
fucked in the butthole
― mattresslessness, Monday, 15 September 2014 17:20 (nine years ago) link
I considered beleaguered but it's a bit too strong, too forceful, 'under attack'-like. While it should contain a tad bit of empathy, or at least be neutral, if that makes sense?
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:21 (nine years ago) link
xxp
reduced to idly giving phrases away for free on the internet
― mattresslessness, Monday, 15 September 2014 17:22 (nine years ago) link
heart u for it mattress <3
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:24 (nine years ago) link
UK English shd be "fucked in the bumhole" shurely?
― Daphnis Celesta, Monday, 15 September 2014 17:26 (nine years ago) link
I'd say "can't catch a break" but that may not be operative in UK English.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:30 (nine years ago) link
i suppose 'having a rough time' would be the boring answer
― john wahey (NickB), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:31 (nine years ago) link
could talk about people waiting for them to slip up or being under the microscope, perhaps. there's room for a better phrase for this.
― ogmor, Monday, 15 September 2014 17:33 (nine years ago) link
"(drinking) in the Last Chance Saloon"?
― Daphnis Celesta, Monday, 15 September 2014 17:34 (nine years ago) link
being put through the wringer?
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:34 (nine years ago) link
Can't catch a break a bit too general, and having a rough time - while true - indeed a bit boring.
Under the cosh feels right, that pretty much nails what I meant. Put through the wringer sounds like the Bukowski version of it, but could still apply.
Ps you are all great, ilx delivers when needed so <3's to all of you
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 15 September 2014 17:40 (nine years ago) link
sounds lime he's having a cuntish time
― fedora, wherever it may find her (darraghmac), Monday, 15 September 2014 18:14 (nine years ago) link
Cosh may refer to:
Hyperbolic cosine, a mathematical function with notation cosh(x)A type of blunt weaponSlang for chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic drugHarry and Cosh, a British children's television seriesCosh Boy, a 1953 British filmChrome OS ShellPeopleChris Cosh (born 1959), American football coachColby Cosh (born 1971), Canadian writerJohn Cosh (1915–2005), British rheumatologistSee also[edit]COSHH, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health, a set of UK regulations
― mattresslessness, Monday, 15 September 2014 18:16 (nine years ago) link
uk version of put through the wringer would be 'been through the mill'
― john wahey (NickB), Monday, 15 September 2014 19:02 (nine years ago) link