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#2 (permalink) Wed May 23, 2007 16:15 pm 'admit + noun' vs 'admit to + noun' |
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One more thing,
"Heads up! " even when you are telling one person, should you say "heads" instead of "the head"? |
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Phoo I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 127
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#3 (permalink) Thu May 24, 2007 3:40 am 'admit + noun' vs 'admit to + noun' |
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| Phoo wrote: |
What is the difference b/w the two below?
a. admit to the affair b. admit the affair
Thanks! 8) |
I think 'admit to the afair' = acknowledge/confess the affair while 'admit the affair' could have more than one meaning, such as 'permit the afair', etc.
| Quote: |
| "Heads up! " even when you are telling one person, should you say "heads" instead of "the head"? |
I think in this case 'Head up!' would be fine and enough :) .
Haihao |
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Haihao I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 2471 Location: Japan
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#4 (permalink) Thu May 24, 2007 13:36 pm 'admit + noun' vs 'admit to + noun' |
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Hi Phoo
I would understand the same thing in your first two sentences: acknowledge/confess
"Heads up!" is a fixed expression and should not be changed to "Head up!" "Heads up!" is a warning to a person or people about the existence of a potentially hazardous situation.
On the other hand, "Head up!" simply sounds like a literal command telling a person to raise his/her head. _________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8316 Location: USA
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#5 (permalink) Thu May 24, 2007 13:41 pm 'admit + noun' vs 'admit to + noun' |
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| Quote: |
a. admit to the affair b. admit the affair |
With Yankee, my initial reaction to both phrases is that they are synonymous; with Haihao, I can see that the second could be taken more than one way.
PS: And 'heads up' is so fixed that it is even a noun-- a warning in advance: 'sending a heads-up to the Pentagon about possible attacks'. . _________________ Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's |
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Mister Micawber Language Coach
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 13015
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#6 (permalink) Sat May 26, 2007 10:41 am 'admit + noun' vs 'admit to + noun' |
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Thank you all
I also see the exparession "a heads-up" sometimes and always wondering. It is a fixed expression!! OK I've got it! It's like "heads or tails", isn't it? |
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Phoo I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 127
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#7 (permalink) Sat May 26, 2007 13:22 pm 'admit + noun' vs 'admit to + noun' |
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. They are both fixed expressions, but 'heads or tails' refers to the obverse and reverse of a coin. 'A heads-up' (and the other permutations we have been discussing) refers to a real head-- it warns the listener, as Yankee has already told us, and in the original, urges the listener to raise his/her head and look about for trouble. . _________________ Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's |
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Mister Micawber Language Coach
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 13015
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