| Author |
Message |
Sin Jeong-hun
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:01 am
Post subject: Usage of "If it isn't sb?" |
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Hello, good afternoon.
I've heard "If it isn't sb!" several times. For example, "If it isn't
Marge.". The situation was someone had just noticed that another person
was there. Is this some kind of greeting, meaning "It IS you!"? Can I
use this like this in this situation?
Situation 1) The door bell rings, and I find that it is Tom,
I say, " If it isn't Tom! Hello! "
Situation 2)
A: Do you remember me?
B: Well, if it isn't B!
Also, is this an Americanism?
Thank you.
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Joe Higman
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2005 4:32 pm
Post subject: Re: Usage of "If it isn't sb?" |
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"Sin Jeong-hun" <typingcat@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1130555386.917354.186680@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Hello, good afternoon.
I've heard "If it isn't sb!" several times. For example, "If it isn't
Marge.". The situation was someone had just noticed that another person
was there. Is this some kind of greeting, meaning "It IS you!"? Can I
use this like this in this situation?
Situation 1) The door bell rings, and I find that it is Tom,
I say, " If it isn't Tom! Hello! "
Situation 2)
A: Do you remember me?
B: Well, if it isn't B!
Also, is this an Americanism?
Thank you.
|
(I'll be damned) if it isn't Fred.
I'm not sure if it's an Americanism. These things drift around. If it is,
then the last word in the brackets should be "darned".This does not mean
that the speaker's granny is mending holes in his skin by patching them with
wool. |
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Pat Durkin
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 11:09 pm
Post subject: Re: Usage of "If it isn't sb?" |
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"Joe Higman" <zen79148@zen.co.uk> wrote in message
news:43635067$0$23295$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk...
| Quote: |
"Sin Jeong-hun" <typingcat@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1130555386.917354.186680@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Hello, good afternoon.
I've heard "If it isn't sb!" several times. For example, "If it isn't
Marge.". The situation was someone had just noticed that another
person
was there. Is this some kind of greeting, meaning "It IS you!"? Can I
use this like this in this situation?
Situation 1) The door bell rings, and I find that it is Tom,
I say, " If it isn't Tom! Hello! "
Situation 2)
A: Do you remember me?
B: Well, if it isn't B!
Also, is this an Americanism?
Thank you.
(I'll be damned) if it isn't Fred.
I'm not sure if it's an Americanism. These things drift around. If it
is,
then the last word in the brackets should be "darned".This does not
mean
that the speaker's granny is mending holes in his skin by patching
them with
wool.
|
The "tamed down version is "darned", but the full-strength USEng is
"damned" (as in Damned if I do, damned if I don't.)
A non-Americanism, but may not be a current usage in BrE is "I'll be
blowed". However, that may come to my mind as a relic of pirate or
whaler's dialect from any number of old novels.
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mUs1Ka
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 11:50 pm
Post subject: Re: Usage of "If it isn't sb?" |
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Pat Durkin wrote:
| Quote: |
The "tamed down version is "darned", but the full-strength USEng is
"damned" (as in Damned if I do, damned if I don't.)
A non-Americanism, but may not be a current usage in BrE is "I'll be
blowed". However, that may come to my mind as a relic of pirate or
whaler's dialect from any number of old novels.
|
Well, blow me down with a feather.
--
Ray.
UK. |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 6:15 am
Post subject: Re: Usage of "If it isn't sb?" |
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mUs1Ka wrote:
| Quote: | Pat Durkin wrote:
[...]
A non-Americanism, but may not be a current usage in BrE is "I'll
be
blowed". However, that may come to my mind as a relic of pirate
or
whaler's dialect from any number of old novels.
Well, blow me down with a feather.
|
Compare "blow" = "blow up" with "blast" = "blow up" or "strike with
lightning" (among other meanings).
--
Mike. |
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