Questions tagged [phrasal-verbs]
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition, a verb and an adverb, or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition.
711
questions
239
votes
5
answers
591k
views
"log in to" or "log into" or "login to"
When writing an instruction about connecting to a computer using ssh, telnet, etc., I'm not sure what spacing to use in this familiar spoken phrase:
"Log in to host.com"
"Log into host.com"
"Login to ...
- 2,493
175
votes
3
answers
612k
views
"Replace with" versus "replace by"
I often see "replace with" and "replace by" used interchangeably, but this doesn't sound right to me:
I replaced that component by this one.
I would use "with" in such a sentence. "By" only seems ...
- 1,853
78
votes
5
answers
674k
views
"Fill out a form" or "fill in a form"
Does one fill out a form or does one fill in a form? I've gotten different answers from the people I've asked.
Google search results:
fill in a form — 14,200,000
fill out a form — 7,000,000
- 1,642
56
votes
11
answers
20k
views
What does 'for' mean in 'We are done for'?
There is an English expression do for, which means to kill, to execute, to ruin, to defeat etc. and this expression seems to always be used in passive voice: e.g.) We are done for.
I understand this ...
- 663
53
votes
6
answers
570k
views
"Speak to" vs. "Speak with"
What are the differences between these two phrasal verbs and what are the best situations to use each?
- 7,348
43
votes
8
answers
146k
views
Why "go off", as in "alarm went off"?
I was wondering why does something goes off, when it in fact does the opposite
bomb goes off - it blows up
alarm goes off - it turns on
Why not goes on?
- 605
39
votes
23
answers
12k
views
What is the verb for criticizing someone (especially juniors) in an annoying way?
I am looking for a verb (or a phrase) to describe a situation that someone criticizes you in an annoying and constant way. For example, an elder in your family (mostly in conservative environments) ...
- 2,808
37
votes
5
answers
9k
views
Bill O’Reilly Is Forced Out at Fox News
Bill O’Reilly has been forced out of his position as a prime-time host on Fox News, the company said on Wednesday, after the disclosure of settlements involving sexual harassment allegations against ...
- 92.3k
32
votes
5
answers
169k
views
What does 'sucker for' mean?
I recently came across a couple usages of 'sucker for' which indicates that it means 'crazy about', 'enthusiastic for', or 'interested in'. For example, 'I am a sucker for sports.', seems to say, 'I ...
- 569
24
votes
7
answers
149k
views
How can I explain to people that the phrase “off of ” is grammatically incorrect? [closed]
How can I explain to people that the phrase off of is grammatically incorrect?
I‘ve heard this phrase used a lot, especially by Americans (though they aren't the only ones).
In my understanding, ...
- 399
24
votes
6
answers
20k
views
Burn up or burn down?
What's the difference between "burn up" and "burn down"? Or is there a difference at all?
- 3,881
23
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Is there another meaning for the phrasal verb “jerk off,” besides “masturbate”?
In the second act of Bernard Shaw’s 1905 play Major Barbara, two unemployed proletarians meet and converse at a Salvation Army mission, friendly enough, and one says to the other (with stage direction ...
- 16.3k
23
votes
3
answers
130k
views
23
votes
3
answers
219k
views
"Differ to", "differ with" or "differ from"
In what ways are differ to, differ with and differ from different?
Providing examples would be really appreciated.
- 7,348
21
votes
1
answer
4k
views
The meaning of leaving someone back [ in American English ]
I just watched a great video (a kind of short documentary) about two educators who strive to afford better education for their students in a college in Red Hook (a neighborhood in Brooklyn).
The video ...
- 481
20
votes
2
answers
49k
views
Does "filling out" equal to "filling in"?
I quoted the following from a pamphlet:
Please read the instructions carefully before filling out the application
form. The application will be returned to you and the registration may be
...
- 1,945
19
votes
2
answers
40k
views
18
votes
2
answers
128k
views
"apply to" vs. "apply for" an opportunity
I am trying to complete the following sentence:
" . . . where certification qualifies students to apply [prep.] a wider range of employment and higher learning opportunities."
I have noted the ...
- 324
17
votes
5
answers
320k
views
What does the phrase “I’m down with” mean?
I was wondering about the meaning of:
I am down with something.
Also, I was wondering whether people say:
I am up with something.
If so, what does it mean?
- 10k
16
votes
4
answers
43k
views
Past tense of "backup"
Which is the past tense of backup?
backuped
backup-ed
backed up
backed-up
The context is the following:
Due to the advent of cloud-based storage solutions, the data is backed up in different ...
- 7,045
15
votes
4
answers
1k
views
login and payoff are nouns. But can they be used as verbs?
I know that words like login and payoff are properly nouns but I increasingly notice many (not at all uneducated) people use them as verbs:
Will you payoff your credit card this month?
and
...
- 2,890
15
votes
5
answers
14k
views
"Writing things down" vs. "writing things up"
Is there any difference in the usage of "writing things down" vs. "writing things up"? Are they both correct?
- 778
15
votes
5
answers
115k
views
"made of" vs "made up of"
I'd really value your thoughts on this one.
I'm familiar with the following use of 'made of':
The shirt is made of silk.
But I'd like to know if anyone thinks using this phrasal verb as a synonym ...
- 151
14
votes
4
answers
68k
views
"Sign into your account" or "Sign in to your account"? [duplicate]
Which is correct? Is it that you are signing "into" your account or "in to" your account?
- 279
14
votes
6
answers
43k
views
Difference between "run into", "come upon" and "come across"
These phrasal verbs have a similar meaning (please correct me if not):
run into
come across
come upon
Are there any nuances to choose between them? For example, I might be wrong but I mostly see run ...
- 341
14
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Meaning of "take down" in "I met her at some dinner and took her down."
I've encountered this particular use in Greville Fane (1893) on two different occasions and am quite perplexed by the actual meaning as none of the meanings for that idiom given by the dictionary seem ...
- 554
14
votes
1
answer
358
views
Rustle up, cook up, google up—what’s up with phrasal verbs?
I was reading Why is “rustle up” different from “rustle”? which I came across as I was looking for a duplicate for a question about "google up" meaning on ELL, and it made me realize how ...
- 1,368
13
votes
7
answers
7k
views
Is "to boil down" formal enough to be used in scientific writing? [closed]
The phrase
to boil down to something
can be found in most dictionaries. However, to me, it sounds colloquial to write
Finding an exact solution to Eq. 1 boils down to ...
A real-life example ...
- 2,472
13
votes
5
answers
7k
views
Is there a difference in meaning between "fill {something} in" and “fill {something} out” in American English?
Is there a subtle or significant difference in meaning between the following?
fill something in
fill something out
In my humble opinion, the two expressions are interchangeable and both ...
- 92.3k
13
votes
4
answers
10k
views
Meaning of to "will someone on"
In the following extract from David Cameron's last speech as PM, I don't understand the last part which includes "will someone on":
And the PM won applause and a standing ovation from Tories - ...
- 67.8k
13
votes
6
answers
7k
views
What is the origin of the phrase "turns out"?
What is the origin of "turns out" as it appears in the phrases below:
It turns out
As it turns out
Let me know how it turns out
What is turning, what is coming out, and from where?
I can't find ...
- 5,430
13
votes
6
answers
52k
views
What Does Strike a Chord Mean?
I am not a native speaker. From my reading and verbal communication, I came to believe that striking a chord means connecting to someone at an emotional level. However, I recently used it somewhere ...
- 345
12
votes
2
answers
249k
views
"Contribute for" or "Contribute to" or "Contribute on" or "Contribute in"
We said :
I do want to thank Mr. Foulen and Mr. Felten who contribute for
server hosting .
or
I do want to thank Mr. Foulen and Mr. Felten who contribute to
server hosting .
or
I do ...
- 411
11
votes
5
answers
15k
views
What's the meaning of 'out' when it comes after a verb ?
What's the difference between a verb like read and read out or shout and shout out and so on? How does "out" change the meaning of verbs?
- 257
11
votes
8
answers
19k
views
Usage of "stood up" to mean "set up"
I was reading this question on meta.ELU and was struck by what, to me, was a strange use of the phrasal verb to stand up:
The site for English Language Learners was stood up in large part so that ...
- 21.9k
11
votes
5
answers
67k
views
Is there any difference between "talk to someone" and "talk with someone"? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Speak to” vs. “Speak with”
Well, the question is in the title. I always had the impression that "talk to someone" refers to situations when some ...
- 961
11
votes
4
answers
24k
views
Point someone to something
Is it correct to write something along the lines of "She pointed me to a book of X." in the sense of "making me aware of it", "bringing it to my attention"?
- 163
11
votes
1
answer
59k
views
Is the term "errored out" a grammatically correct phrase, or just a colloquial one? [duplicate]
I was wondering whether it is OK to use "errored out" as part of a status message in my code — is it grammatically correct to use it, or is there a better choice of words that I can use in its ...
- 1,734
11
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Why can't you place pronouns after a phrasal verb?
Many phrasal verbs such as look up or knock out typically allow the object to be placed between the verb and proposition or to be placed afterward. For example,
You can look my brother up on Google....
- 6,130
10
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Is the phrasal verb “buck up” used only in British English, not in American English?
Is the phrasal verb buck up used only in British English?
I’ve never heard an American use the word buck up to mean cheer up; I suspect the phrasal verb is only used in British English.
- 1,478
10
votes
4
answers
199k
views
What exactly does "sweep me off my feet" mean? (And why?)
Although the phrase "sweep me off my feet" probably means, "make me fall in love with you in a short time", what does it exactly mean, because "sweeping" can be difficult to be associated with "love". ...
- 3,033
9
votes
14
answers
13k
views
A verb for when we actively extract information from others?
Sometimes, others just inform us about things without us asking them, other times they do not do that even if we ask them. I want a verb for when others do not give us information — whether because ...
- 3,462
9
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Is there any rule about splitting phrasal verbs?
I thought of this question right after I posted a tweet about a service upgrading me to a free student account since I am in college. I said "That really helps a broke college student out." I actually ...
- 896
9
votes
3
answers
693
views
What is the exact meaning of the phrasal verb "hold out" when used in the construction "hold [something] out to be [something]"?
Examples of context:
LEGAL AND FINANCIAL DISCLAIMER
I am not an attorney, accountant or financial advisor, nor am I holding myself out to be.
I am not, nor am I holding myself out to be a doctor/...
- 365
9
votes
5
answers
6k
views
Looking for the opposite of "drill down"
I am a programmer working on a chart component that allows to drill down on selection of a node. Drilling down will show the details of that node (like its children etc.). But I am struggling to find ...
- 1,010
9
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Why are we in love "with" someone?
I'd like to learn the etymology of using the preposition with in the phrase in love with somebody. For me it doesn't make much sense because with seems to imply something that is shared by two people, ...
- 405
8
votes
3
answers
10k
views
"You can cream on me"
I was listening to "Let it Bleed" by The Rolling Stones, and the lyrics say
Yeah, we all need someone we can cream on //
Yeah and if you want to, well you can cream on me
On the Cambridge ...
- 1,267
8
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Is it correct to change the common structure in these phrasal verbs?
I just read a book to learn English. And the topic I read is about the phrasal verbs, but a big doubt has come up to my mind.
Is it correct to change the position of the preposition (putting it with ...
- 191
8
votes
5
answers
1k
views
A verb for a more precise way of showing a puzzle?
I have talked about a puzzle in a more general way. Now I want to identify a more precise and specific formulation of that puzzle. What verb should I use?
Example:
Life in this world seem to be a ...
- 3,462
8
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Difference between "drop on by" and "drop by"
I first learned of “drop on by” in this news article, 2012, by Spectrum News, Texas.
“Armstrong hits pool for Longhorn Aquatics event. Longhorn Aquatics was hosting its New Year's Classic, and ...
- 10k