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 #2 (permalink) Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:29 am 'jabbing away at' |
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| Haihao wrote: |
| 1. Does 'his stuffed nose' suggest 'his nose stuffed with something? |
Yes, mucus. Normally we'd say he had a stuffy nose.
| Haihao wrote: |
| 2. What does 'jabbing away at' mean? |
Jabbing is something like stabbing, except that when you jab, you don't usually cut into anything. You usually stab with something sharp, such as a knife or a long needle, but the thing you jab with doesn't have to be sharp. It can even be your finger. Or, as in this story, your nose.
The adverb "away" is added here to mean that the action was repeated or continued for a long time without stopping. You could say, "She was talking away," or, "He was writing away." |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6552
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #3 (permalink) Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:41 am Expression 'jabbing away at' |
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Hi Jamie,
Many thanks again! I forgot completely that 'away' could suggest 'the action was repeated or continued for a long time without stopping', though I often refer an uncle of mine to 'a talkaway guy', who could make a solo speech to me over three hours without a trace of fatigue. :D
I am sure now I won't forget 'away' just like 'three strikes'.
Haihao |
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Haihao
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 2471
Location: Japan
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| #4 (permalink) Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:46 am Expression 'jabbing away at' |
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In English we would call your uncle a "windbag".
When my siblings and I were little, my father sometimes called us "gas bags". |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6552
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| #5 (permalink) Thu Jun 21, 2007 3:16 am Expression 'jabbing away at' |
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"Windbag" and "gas bag" are both new but cool to me! With them I could update my vocabulary for my uncle, who is really annoying me these days with all that wind or gas. :D Many thanks again, Jamie.
By the way, could I really suggest both of the expressions allude to the large quantity of hot air put out or possessed by a talkative person?
Thank you!
Haihao |
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Haihao
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 2471
Location: Japan
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| #6 (permalink) Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:18 am Expression 'jabbing away at' |
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| Haihao wrote: |
| By the way, could I really suggest both of the expressions allude to the large quantity of hot air put out or possessed by a talkative person? |
Yes. That's EXACTLY what it refers to. :D |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6552
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| Methods to memorize new words (select a dictionary)? | Expression "A contradiction still" |
