'"Hate to break it to you folks, but...' is used when bad news is about to be announced to a group. The speaker uses the word 'hate' to let the listeners know they feel sympathy for the people in the situation.
Example:
-Hate to break it to you folks, but our plane is experiencing some mechanical difficulties, so it'll be at least an hour before we can take off. We're doing everything as quickly as we can.
-(Deep sighs of frustration and groans from passengers.)
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 frustration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frustration. Show all posts
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
C'mon!
'C'mon' is an expression American English speakers use to try to encourage someone else to do something. It's short for 'Come on.' Most speakers say the abbreviated version unless they are in a more formal setting, or if they are angry and want to add emphasis to each word to show their frustration.
Examples:
-C'mon, Mom! Please?!
(Person is stuck in traffic behind a very slow car) -COME ON!
Examples:
-C'mon, Mom! Please?!
(Person is stuck in traffic behind a very slow car) -COME ON!
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