When you hear someone talking about a 'good ol' boy,' it conjures up the image of a guy who lives in a small, rural town, drives an old beat-up pick-up truck with a Confederate flag in the back window (which he sees as a symbol of Southern pride), probably chews tobacco and may or may not have a high school education. They are perceived to be prejudiced and racist. Calling someone this is not a compliment, unless you also happen to be a 'good ol' boy.'
Example:
-I live in New York now, but back home, I knew a lot of good ol' boys.
-Really?
I love analyzing my native language, American English, and helping non-native speakers make sense of it. I've been doing this for fun with friends who speak English as a second language for nearly 30 years. I would like to first thank A.D., C.F. and E.A., and now P.G., for inspiring me to finally write this stuff down!
Showing posts with label good. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good. Show all posts
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Good luck with that!
'Good luck!' can mean just what it says -- that the person is wishing you well in your endeavor. However, 'Good luck with that,' especially when said with a sarcastic tone, means that the other person doesn't think you're going to be successful at all.
Example:
-I'm gonna go cram for my Philosophy final tomorrow.
-Yeah, good luck with that!
Example:
-I'm gonna go cram for my Philosophy final tomorrow.
-Yeah, good luck with that!
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