Shrink to think

[Torsten]

Hi Amy,

Why do you need to use such hard words like 'problem' so often when in fact we are discussing phrases and expressions.
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Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Lost_Soul]

Well, Torsten, to be honest with you, I concur with Amy's opinion - you run a risk of being misunderstood if you use that particular expression in the USA. How's that for a problem? ;). In essence, learners will be experiencing lots of problems in communication, if we fail to make them aware of the usages of certain expressions/idioms.

[Torsten]

Hi Alex,

Have you tried using the phrase in the USA? If so, who did you use it with and what was their reaction?

TOEIC short conversations: Two women discuss recent discount sales at a store

[Yankee]

Hi Torsten

I mentioned well-known collocations that seem to have been mixed together to produce the expression used in the test. Haven't you ever heard the collocations I posted? If not, then my posting them has been beneficial for you too.
.
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Lost_Soul]

Hi, Torsten

I've never been to the USA, but Amy has spent most of her life there, and she says that this phrase is not in wide use there, and I have no reason to mistrust her opinion, do you?

[Torsten]

Hi Alex,

The good thing about democracy is that you are free to believe and say what you want. You can trust whomever you like.

TOEIC short conversations: A customer pays cash in a store

[Alan]

Hi,

Well I never! All this hoo-ha about this innocuous expression has certainly made it well known to everyone now.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Yankee]

.
I shudder at the very thought. :wink:
.
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Foah]

[MrPedantic]

[Stew.t.]

hi guys

You have to understand that the Brits like to play with words and coin phrases. I have heard shrink to think, but it is not in very common usage. And as Alan said you would use it amongst friends, so it is all about register.

I would never use Udgamaflip in wider circles than very close friends. I think that exposure to these phrases is good even if it is not in frequent usage.

A language has a dualism comprehension versus complex subtleties and variations.

But I would shrink to think how some learners would make educated choices in this field.
I think it goes back to the soap box issue of teaching versus exposing learners to phrases.
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Please meet Stewart Tunncilff

[MrPedantic]

Hello Stew,

"Oojamaflip" appears in Urban Dictionary, Wikipedia, etc., and has a respectable online presence. "I shrink to think", on the other hand, appears in no lists of idioms, and is represented online by this site, an apparent reference to this site, an example in inverted commas, and two or three genuine uses.

Would you say it warrants inclusion in a test of common idiomatic phrases – as opposed to the vastly more useful "I shudder to think", for example?

All the best,

MrP

[Torsten]

Hello MrP,

So if the phrase 'I shrink to think' appeared in the Urban Dictionary or/and in Wikipedia would you then stop discussing it?

TOEIC short conversations: A catering customer orders food by phone

[Alan]

Hi,

'Eccentric' and 'quaint' are all right, aren't they? I am reminded of a character in a series of English language books written by a certain C.E. Eckersley. His name was Mr Priestley and he was the teacher. I remember using these excruciatingly boring books where Mr Priestley did everything according to the book and chided his students if they stepped outside what he considered to be 'correct' English.

He was in all respects perfect but my 'real' students wearied of this incredibly boring man because they began to see little connection with what C.E. Eckersley was telling them and the language they lived with outside the classroom in N.W London where the school was situated.

One very colourful and mature student took me aside one morning and said in true Maurice Chevalier accent: This Mr Priestley, Alan. Tell me, when does he have time to have sex with his wife?

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Torsten]

Hi Alan,

This C.E. Eckersley character reminds me of the English Language Police (ELP), a powerful organization that employs hundreds of ELP agents who scour the web for English Language Law offenders. I would venture to say that you have long been a target of the ELP and a score of ELP agents have been following your every move. How does it feel to be a target of the ELP? I shrink to think about the consequences you might be facing if you continue to challenge their Internet agents.

TOEIC short conversations: A bank customer is withdrawing cash from his account