Question about an english phrase
-
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:08 am
- Languages: English
- x 1
Question about an english phrase
I was walking along a beach looking at my phone and almost walked into someone with their child. Her response addressed towards me did not make sense. She said: "Just make sure you don't run us over". I have never met the person before nor ever engaged in a conversation. Could anyone clarify how her comment directed towards me can make sense?
1 x
- tommus
- Blue Belt
- Posts: 957
- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2015 3:59 pm
- Location: Kingston, ON, Canada
- Languages: English (N), French (B2), Dutch (B2)
- x 1937
Re: Question about an english phrase
ausguerila wrote:She said: "Just make sure you don't run us over".
It seems fairly straight forward to me. It was just a way of saying "Watch out where you are walking so you don't run into us", or something similar. The word order could be "... run us over" or "... run over us". Both are OK.
2 x
Dutch: 01 September -> 31 December 2020
● Watch 1000 Dutch TV Series Videos | : |
- Aozora
- Orange Belt
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2016 3:46 pm
- Location: Canada
- Languages: English(N), Japanese (N2)
- Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=17971
- x 203
Re: Question about an english phrase
"Don't run us over" is probably a play on words because you can "run someone over" with a car, but if you're walking the phrase would be "walk into someone " or "bump into someone. "
0 x
Super Challenge Books:
Super Challenge Films:
Super Challenge Films:
-
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:08 am
- Languages: English
- x 1
Re: Question about an english phrase
How could her phrase make sense without any prior context to the event?
0 x
- IronMike
- Black Belt - 2nd Dan
- Posts: 2554
- Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
- Location: Northern Virginia
- Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999) - Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
- x 7265
- Contact:
Re: Question about an english phrase
Maybe she was just making a joke? Was she smiling when she said it?
If you really want to be confused, know that in Russian, if someone has his face in his phone and is about to run you over, you'd say "Тихо!" which technically means quietly, but in this instance is being used along the lines of careful!
If you really want to be confused, know that in Russian, if someone has his face in his phone and is about to run you over, you'd say "Тихо!" which technically means quietly, but in this instance is being used along the lines of careful!
1 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.
-
- Brown Belt
- Posts: 1272
- Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:41 pm
- x 1031
Re: Question about an english phrase
ausguerila wrote:How could her phrase make sense without any prior context to the event?
It just means 'don't physically go over us', i.e. knock them down and physically walk/run/drive over them, in this case walk over them. She was almost definitely joking. No context is needed with that phrase unless you wanted clarification about the method used/potentially used to mow the person down. Like a lot of things with language, it just is.
0 x
-
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:08 am
- Languages: English
- x 1
Re: Question about an english phrase
The comment "just make sure you don't run us over " is something that would be added to a comment that was made prior to. How could this have sense without prior context?
0 x
-
- Brown Belt
- Posts: 1272
- Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:41 pm
- x 1031
Re: Question about an english phrase
ausguerila wrote:The comment "just make sure you don't run us over " is something that would be added to a comment that was made prior to. How could this have sense without prior context?
The context is clear from the phrase.
1 x
Return to “General Language Discussion”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Sizen and 2 guests