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Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress?



 
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ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
Inconsistencies, irregularities and curiosities of English | 'Twenty years' versus 'The twenty years'
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Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress? #1 (permalink) Sat Nov 04, 2006 9:05 am   Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress?
 

Hi

He is a hard-to-buy-for person.

I like this precise (AmE?) expression Smile

Could you say:

1. Where do you put stress when pronounce it? Smile If use it.

2. If don’t, what expression/word do you use instead?
(I'm sure, each of us have at least one hard-to-buy-for person around and knows the problem quite well Smile)
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Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress? #2 (permalink) Sat Nov 04, 2006 10:52 am   Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress?
 

Hi Tamara,

Do I detect the faint sound of jingle bells lurking in the background of this question? I would say there is no word stressed more than another in this little chain of words. As for finding another word for it well that's too tall an order for me.

A
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Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress? #3 (permalink) Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:01 am   Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress?
 

Hi Alan,

So you'd recommend pronouncing it in an unmusical and hopelessly monotonous manner? Smile

...too... for you?

OK... I feel that all is left to me now is to think of buying for (jingle bell) present the picture you've recently recommended Smile
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Stress #4 (permalink) Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:04 am   Stress
 

Hi Tamara,

Quote:
So you'd recommend pronouncing it in an unmusical and hopelessly monotonous manner?

No, I don't sound like that!

A
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Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress? #5 (permalink) Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:09 am   Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress?
 

Alan, when I'm trying to pronounce it, I always put stress on for... but, to be honest I've never heard how it should sound. Just saw it in writing.

And, yes, the real and (fatal Smile ) necessity to buy a present for a person of such kind reminds me the expression Smile
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Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress? #6 (permalink) Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:23 am   Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress?
 

Tamara wrote:
He is a hard-to-buy-for person.

I like this precise (AmE?) expression Smile

Could you say:

1. Where do you put stress when pronounce it? Smile If use it.

I'd tend to stress the words 'hard' and 'buy' slightly and possibly also have a slight pause after the word 'hard'. I definitely would not stress the word 'for' -- rather the opposite.

Tamara wrote:
2. If you don’t (use this expression), what expression/word do you use instead?

I might also use finicky. Very Happy

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Inconsistencies, irregularities and curiosities of English | 'Twenty years' versus 'The twenty years'
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