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 #2 (permalink) Sat Oct 04, 2008 4:30 am Trying to pull? |
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It means 'what trick/ruse are you trying to accomplish?'
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 Mister Micawber
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| #3 (permalink) Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:27 am Trying to pull? |
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| Or "which girl/boy/man/woman are you trying to succeed in starting a sexual relationship with"? British English slang. |
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Molly
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| #4 (permalink) Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:50 am Trying to pull? |
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Mister M's interpretation applies in BrE too.
For Molly's interpretation, in BrE slang, you would say not "What", but "Who are you trying to pull?".
Best wishes,
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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| #5 (permalink) Sat Oct 04, 2008 22:59 pm Trying to pull? |
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| Quote: |
| For Molly's interpretation, in BrE slang, you would say not "What", but "Who are you trying to pull?". |
You really need to do a bit of out-of-the-box thinking, MrP.
A young woman (Sp1) fixing her make up in the bathroom of a nightclub. A female friend (Sp2) walks in the door.
Sp1: Kaz, what on earth are you doing out there? What are you trying to pull? He's so blo*dy ugly.
Sp2: Well he's better than what you pulled last week.
..............
Similar:
What was that I saw you with last night? She looked a bit rough. |
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Molly
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| #6 (permalink) Sun Oct 05, 2008 2:06 am Trying to pull? |
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I should have added that "pull" in the sense that Molly mentions tends to occur in certain set phrases; "Who are you trying to pull?" would be an unusual use of the term.
As for "what are you trying to pull?": in BrE, that phrase would be extremely unlikely to suggest a context of "starting a sexual relationship". Mister M's interpretation is the right one.
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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| #7 (permalink) Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:28 am Trying to pull? |
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Ok...I appreciate your explanations. However, I think you got off the track here; Because the British meaning was added now...So, could you split the British and the American usage up in two? Please...
Thank you so much!
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Serzige
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| #8 (permalink) Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:37 am Trying to pull? |
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Hi Serzige
The interpretation that Mr Micawber gave you is valid in both BE and AmE.
I would expect that to be the meaning of the sentence you heard. In other words:
- What kind of deception/trick/ruse are you trying to carry out?
The question itself would generally be rhetorical.
I have never heard Molly's interpretation before. However, the Cambridge Dictionary does list the following informal British expression (which is not quite the same as what you posted):
"to be on the pull"
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=64086&dict=CALD
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Yankee
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| #9 (permalink) Sun Oct 05, 2008 11:04 am Trying to pull? |
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| Quote: |
| I have never heard Molly's interpretation before. However, the Cambridge Dictionary does list the following informal British expression (which is not quite the same as what you posted): |
That's because the fixed phrase is "trying to pull" and the question part is not part of that. |
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Molly
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| Can you proofread/amend this translation, please? | Phrase "See you when I see you" |
