Timeline for Is it correct to say "have a pass on something" instead of "make a pass on something"?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
18 events
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| Jul 29, 2018 at 16:49 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | I will hazard a guess that the reason you thought the usage was more common than native speakers would expect is partly because you hear it from other non-native speakers in your location. Most of whom are presumably native speakers of the same language as you. All of you would be likely to make the same mistakes in certain contexts - different to those often made by speakers of other languages. But because the ones you hear are likely to reflect your "native" ideas about vocabulary and syntax, they'll feel more "natural" to you even though they're actually "wrong". | |
| Jul 29, 2018 at 16:02 | vote | accept | W.W. | ||
| Jul 29, 2018 at 15:58 | history | edited | W.W. | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Jul 29, 2018 at 15:58 | comment | added | W.W. | @FumbleFingers Yeah, now I more tend to think that this is only the way of how the specific guy express it. Somehow I thought it's familiar to me without any reason. I will avoid using it this way in the future. | |
| Jul 29, 2018 at 15:56 | comment | added | W.W. | @RobbieGoodwin Actually I'm really not in a English-speaking country. Somehow I thought I'm pretty used to the usage like this, but after thinking it carefully, I can't think of the place where I saw it second time except in the email. Thanks for point this out! | |
| Jul 27, 2018 at 21:50 | comment | added | Robbie Goodwin | Not at all; never. Please notice, if you think it “common to see such phrases” you’re not moving in a world of British or American English, anyway. “Make” and “take” and “have” a pass “on” are not comparable and none of them would work with your example. “browse something (like writing or blueprints, etc) from start to end, maybe quickly. Usually aim to correct errors or refine the stuff” suggests “Make a pass at” which is wholly different. Do you see no difference between “I saw the usage of ‘make a pass on’ from one email” and “It's common to see…”, please? | |
| Jul 27, 2018 at 17:08 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | Define "correct". The purpose of language is to communicate, so arguably if you didn't understand it it would be an incorrect usage from someone talking to you. Or me, come to that - except your cited usage wouldn't bother me because it's contextually likely I can completely ignore the bit about making a pass, since it's really just a bit of "deferential circumlocution" (meaningless fluff) before explicitly coming out with the actual request (Please correct the errors). Probably implying ...without going to too much trouble. | |
| Jul 27, 2018 at 16:50 | comment | added | W.W. | @FumbleFingers Ah, actually I saw the usage of "make a pass on" from one email. I think that's how the guy uses the phrase. For me I never used it before. So I really don't know whether it's correct or not. | |
| Jul 27, 2018 at 16:37 | answer | added | lbf | timeline score: 1 | |
| Jul 27, 2018 at 16:12 | answer | added | Lawrence | timeline score: 2 | |
| Jul 27, 2018 at 16:04 | history | edited | Lawrence | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Jul 27, 2018 at 16:03 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | Okay, well I've retracted my closevote. I don't recognise your example usage though. Are you perhaps conflating pass with parse? I suggest you just switch to ...can you please run through it? (or even more informal, eyeball it). And ask any future questions like this on English Language Learners. | |
| Jul 27, 2018 at 16:01 | history | edited | W.W. | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Jul 27, 2018 at 15:57 | comment | added | W.W. | @FumbleFingers Yeah, sorry for being so sloppy. Just added one sample sentence there. | |
| Jul 27, 2018 at 15:55 | history | edited | W.W. | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Jul 27, 2018 at 15:49 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | If by take a pass you mean abstain from offering an opinion, most people would probably just say I'll pass on that one [that subject / question requiring a response]. You could say I'll take a pass on that, but note that making a pass on [a potential sexual partner] is a completely different usage. Unless you edit to clarify the sense you intend, this question will be closed as "Unclear". | |
| Jul 27, 2018 at 15:29 | comment | added | loonquawl | Could you add what you think the phrases 'make/take/have a pass' would mean? | |
| Jul 27, 2018 at 15:26 | history | asked | W.W. | CC BY-SA 4.0 |