Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 1 down vote favorite

Is it grammatically correct to use the phrase "held up" in the following sense?

  • "I got held up with some other work", or
  • "Let's reschedule the meeting. Looks like you got held up."
share|improve this question
What you are asking about is nothing to do with grammar (the sentences are clearly grammatical) but about the meaning of words and idioms. But as Eric says, they are fine in that sense too. – Colin Fine Jan 6 '11 at 16:56

1 Answer

up vote 1 down vote

You can generally substitute "delayed" for "held up". Both of your examples read naturally to me.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.