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Specific + Strange Idioms/Phrases

  Tags: Idiom
 Language Learning Forum : General discussion Post Reply
E. Chu
Newbie
United States
Joined 4753 days ago

1 posts - 1 votes
Speaks: English*
Studies: Mandarin

 
 Message 1 of 1
04 January 2013 at 6:39pm | IP Logged 
I apologize in advance if such a forum has already been created. In such an event, I humbly request a moderator to delete this forum and link me to the current discussion.

Anyways, strange idiomatic phrases often come up in daily usage that are often difficult to explain to others studying a target language. Since there have been some phrases that have always confused me, I've decided to create a forum where we could discuss these phrases and their approximate meanings. Besides discussing confusing phrases, feel free to ask questions on difficult phrases!

Other languages besides English are very welcome as long as an approximate translation to English is provided.

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To keep things organized, please use the following format:

Phrase: [XXX]

Translation (if not English): [XXX]

Explanation: [XXX]

============================================================

I'll start off.

Phrase: ["the wife", "the house", "the (xxx)"]

Translation: [NA]

Explanation: Normally, the use of my implies a possessive relationship. However, the lack of my in constructions usually implying a possessive relationship serves to distance the speaker from the possession in question. Some have taken this to mean equal status and non-dominance in a spousal relationship. In relation to inanimate objects, it may imply that the speaker does not own the object, but is instead a borrower.


Edited by E. Chu on 04 January 2013 at 6:42pm



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