I just Googled "have ago at it" in quotes. Oddly, the first hit was in an English-Albanian dictionary of idioms. When I clicked on the link, the highlighted term that comes up in the text is "have a go at it".
Google can't be trusted.
Search found 1374 matches
- Mon Jan 11, 2010 3:18 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: have ago
- Replies: 23
- Views: 6513
- Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:58 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Missing data
- Replies: 6
- Views: 3481
Re: Missing data
- My friend and I are searching for some data on a/my/our/his computer, but we can't find it. We might to say one of these sentences: The data is gone. The data gone. No complete verb in this non-sentence. The data is missing. "The" computer sounds a little strange out of context as I don't know whi...
- Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:11 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: More afraid of than
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2446
Re: More afraid of than
The second sentence is fine ... grammatically. In the "more X than Y" construction, "I am afraid of" and "(I am) loving" aren't well matched. It's sort of "more state than action" when it should be "more state than state" or "more action than action". I am more fearful of my dad than (I am) loving t...
- Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:34 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: 12 month installment buying
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3248
Re: 12 month installment buying
While I'd expect a new one to be over 30,000 USD, the value of any used car can go all the way down to zero. Just for fun I had already checked a used car site and they had a few 2005 ES350s for less than 15,000 with about 80,000 miles on them.
- Wed Jan 06, 2010 2:47 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Drive Thru
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2681
Re: Drive Thru
While we're being esthetic...
was it an ad for McDonald's? ;-)Bobinwales wrote:advert for MacDonalds
- Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:06 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: 12 month installment buying
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3248
Re: 12 month installment buying
If you're using a $, there are definitely 2 L's in installments.
- Fri Jan 01, 2010 10:53 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Play favorites with
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3986
Re: Play favorites with
All of the bootlicking synonyms you list would involve doing everything the boss asked and more - fawning, obsequious (obedient and attentive in a servile manner), servile. It's hard to see where not doing your job would fit in with that.
- Fri Jan 01, 2010 6:49 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Play favorites with
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3986
Re: Play favorites with
You still need to work on "What is a sentence?" All the employees in our company work very hard, but Susan is very lazy. The boss always plays favorites with her because she's very good at flattering the boss. If you don't want the obsessively logical thinkers wondering whether Susan is an employee:...
- Thu Dec 31, 2009 6:22 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Is, Are
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2930
Re: Is, Are
I'm with trolley. "is" is correct.
- Thu Dec 31, 2009 6:21 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Spread yourself
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2156
Re: Spread yourself
I wouldn't be surprised to find the first one in a business communication, but I would be a little surprised by the second. While the second one gets a great many more Google hits, the large number seems to be primarily because it is included in a great many lists of old proverbs rather than actual ...
- Wed Dec 30, 2009 6:50 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: As you wish!
- Replies: 2
- Views: 4456
Re: As you wish!
Phrasing "wishes" is tricky. "I wish you would do something" sounds like I'm wishing for my own sake rather than for yours that you would do something about something under your control, e.g. I wish you would take out the trash (so I don't have to). I also get the idea that A feels it is B's fault t...
- Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:18 am
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Get your paycheck
- Replies: 5
- Views: 3007
Re: Get your paycheck
As Robert Heinlein says: TANSTAAFL - There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Adding a ? to a statement doesn't make it a question. "Do you eat outside or does your company give you ...?" is how standard questions are phrased in English. "Do you eat outside?" could mean "Do you eat outdoors?". It ...
- Mon Dec 28, 2009 6:07 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Definitely prefer
- Replies: 6
- Views: 3291
Re: Definitely prefer
It's hard to make this sound natural because the situation is making assumptions that are foreign to us. In addition to loving new car smell (knowing that it is the smell of vinyl fumes, carpet glue, and leather cleaner), I'm not sure: Are you renting cars? Calling a taxi service? Buying a new car e...
- Sun Dec 27, 2009 5:48 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Definitely prefer
- Replies: 6
- Views: 3291
Re: Definitely prefer
No. "What's with you people?" implies that there is something wrong with the people being addressed, e.g. "What's with you people? Are you deranged?" There is in fact something majorly wrong with these people and A evidentally knows it so this is okay. I just want to be sure you don't think this is ...
- Sat Dec 26, 2009 6:11 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Night shift
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3153
Re: Night shift
Until you come up with a night specific activity, it still won't make any sense. Also, we could play soccer or badminton at someone's house for 10 minutes at any time of day or night. At least with golf, you had picked an activity where you have to go somewhere and spend a few hours doing it. "gotta...