get somebody by default?

[Torsten]

Hi,

Does the expression "to get somebody by default" make any sense to you?

Thanks,
Torsten
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Test Of English for International Communication
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[Alan]

Hi,

It depends very much on the use of 'get'. Imagine that this is the situation: You are telephoning a company/firm on a certain number and by using that number, you would get/are put through to the sales office by default/automatically even though you really want to make a general enquiry. That's one possible use.

Alan
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[Yankee]

The exact meaning will depend on the broader context.

It could be a person who is the automatic or predetermined first choice for something (as in Alan's example), or it could be the person who is the last/only possible choice.

For example, imagine that Bill and Joe are picking their teams for a game of baseball. They are choosing from a group of 16 boys. First Bill makes a choice, then Joe makes a choice. Then Bill makes his second choice, then Joe makes his second choice, and so on. After Bill has made his eighth (final) choice, Joe will get the eighth member of the team (the only person left) by default.
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