Google
English-Test.net
Find penpals and make new friends today!
 
of secondary importance; insignificant; corresponding
late
ambiguous
collateral
imaginary
TOEIC test: Word games: Free Online Adjective Verb Noun Game Answer
 
Username
Password
 Remember me? 
Search   FAQ   Memberlist   Profile   Private messages   Register   Log in 

Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-)



 
ESL/EFL Worksheets and Handouts for Students Printable, photocopiable, clearly structured
Designed for teachers and individual learners
For use in a classroom, at home, on your PC
ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
Woman students vs. Female students | Be 5/10/20 vs. Be 5/10/20 years old
Listening exercises
Message
Author
Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-) #1 (permalink) Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:38 am   Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-)
 

Hi

Could you comment the use of He is all-fired sure of himself?
(grammar, tone, contexts, examples of your personal use of all-fired, whatever)

By the way, in this forum all-fired has never been used (if the search machine works fine this Valentine's morning.)
This (MY!!!) use is the (pioneerily) first. Smile ...all-fired proud Smile
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…
Tamara
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1577
Location: UK

Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-) #2 (permalink) Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:15 am   Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-)
 

I've looked this up in several dictionaries, and none of them give an etymology. It could be a reference to hell, but I always thought of it as having guns a-blazin'.
Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 5332
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Are you a native speaker of English? Then you should read this!How many different ways with words do you know? Subscribe to free email English courseEnglish grammar exercises — improve your English knowledge and vocabulary skillsLearn all about English adverbs in this amusing story
Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-) #3 (permalink) Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:28 am   Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-)
 

Hi Tamara and Jamie(K),

If my memory doesn't fail me, I met this phrase in one text. As far as I remember, it had the sense of ‘damned’. Smile
Pamela
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 14 Mar 2006
Posts: 1239
Location: Rf

Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-) #4 (permalink) Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:15 am   Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-)
 

Hi,

A dictionary is willing to go to bat for Jamie:

Quote:
all-fired (?l'fīrd')
adv. Informal
Used as an intensive: Don't be so all-fired aggressive.

[Alteration of hell-fired.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

haihao
Haihao
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 1392
Location: Japan

Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-) #5 (permalink) Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:56 am   Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-)
 

Hi all,
Quote:
it had the sense of ‘damned’
Quote:
It could be a reference to hell
One of my dictionaries gave as a close-by-meaning intensifier the funny (AmE) slang helluva/hellova
which looks so Russian. Smile Both by spelling and the meaning. 'чёртов', 'чёртова', I mean. (It’s a helluva job)

Quote:
Used as an intensive
Yes, lots of examples.
But not only. It can be used 'in itself'. Have a look at this:
And now you want to work on the exhibition you were so all-fired about, I was so inspired by, same deal, huh? (BNC)
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…
Tamara
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1577
Location: UK

Display posts from previous:   
Woman students vs. Female students | Be 5/10/20 vs. Be 5/10/20 years old
ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-) All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Page 1 of 1
Latest topics on ESL EFL Forums
Idiom 'see the light of day'meaning of pep-me-upper?Correct my English: It was a challenge to keep them amusedThe meaning of 'vinegar-visage'Arrive home vs. Get home vs. Come homeWrite to the address above vs. Write to the above addressIdiom 'Give someone the benefit of the doubt'My brother and I each... vs. My brother and I all...Idiom 'in deep water'I'm wondering or I wonder?The meaning of 'cadbury'meaning of mini-sequence?Idiom 'go off the deep end'Idiom 'with a grain of salt'difference between eczema, rash and blotch and their meaningsimpossibility to control vs. impossibility of controlMeaning of CounterPunctuation help: I'm terribly sorry for disturbing your meal, but once you...Phrase: all-fired sure of oneself :-)

Discover English-test.net
Hi, I'm Low low, the new member from MalaysiaMeaning of 'bunches'Only once: During the time I was in Paris, I saw only onceWhat is slang word related to, say I ask somebody a 100 pound...Have you ever spoken to forum members?TOEIC vocab test: Increase Vocabulary: English Verbs Adjectives NounsTOEIC vocabulary test: Word find games: Free Online Verb Adjective Noun GameMeaning of enter, central, attract, tantamount, demand, passagePimsleur torrent: Pimsleur German Comprehensive IIIFree ESL Quiz Online: For GoodEnglish language: Commercial PropertyAristocrats audio books, CDs, tapes, used cassettes, audio download

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Subscribe to FREE email English course
First name E-mail