We have not firmed up any plans yet?

[Torsten]

Hi,

I've just come across the following phrase I wonder how popular it is:

"...., but we have not firmed up any plans yet."

I mean, how often would you say or write 'firm up plans' instead of 'make plans'?

Many thanks,
Torsten

TOEFL listening discussions: Why does the student visit the adviser's office?

[Yankee]

Hi Torsten

It's entirely possible that I have never used the phrase "firm up plans", but if I were to use it, I would use it to mean something more like "finalize the plans (which we have already begun making)".
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[Diverhank]

Heh heh...For what it's worth, I actually use the phrase quite often. Like Yankee said, it means you are finalizing the plans...like putting down a deposit or paying for the airlines ticket type of finalizing.

[HamburgEnglish]

But to finalize a plan does not mean to firm up a plan !!!

Please think helpers ..... (smile)

[Torsten]

Hi Amy, Hank and HE,

Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts with me. Your answers give me a better understanding of how and when to use the phrase.
Regards,
Torsten

TOEIC listening, photographs: Autobahn

[Alan]

Hi Torsten,

'Firm up' essentially means to strengthen or make more substantial. Let's say you are making plans to undertake a new project and you have to present these plans to an authority or government agency, you would say: We must firm up our plans for the new project to make sure they will stand up before we make our presentation to the agency and to ensure they will not be able to find holes in our argument.

Alan
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