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ESL forum >
Ask for help > Formal Words...
Formal Words...
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Greek Professor
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Formal Words...
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Hi everyone,
I need some help. Can someone enlighten me with two FORMAL words of:
mess around
get down to business.
Thanks in advance |
5 Apr 2012
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jannabanna
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Hi,
Perhaps something like this:
to mess around = to behave stupidly
to get
down to business = to start negotiating/work
Bye for now,
Janet
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5 Apr 2012
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Mariethe House
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Hiya Effie! 
what about: fiddle, fidget, play around for the first expression... and start work for the second expression as janna said.
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5 Apr 2012
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ueslteacher
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have to point out that phrasal verbs like "play around" are considered to be informal, the same goes for colloquial words like fiddle and fidget, whereas Effie asked for Formal equivalents.
mess around - spend time idly? Sophia
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5 Apr 2012
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ldthemagicman
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Dear Greek Professor,
In my opinion:
"Mess around: FORMAL = to play; to play around; to play about; to fool about; to clown around; to engage in foolishness; to be silly; to treat something as a farce; to indulge in childishness; to get up to mischief; to play practical jokes; to play foolish pranks; to be irresponsible; to potter about; to tinker about; to interfere with; to inconvenience; to meddle with; to tamper with; to behave badly; to misbehave; to cause trouble; to give bother; to annoy; to irritate.
"Get down to business": FORMAL = to trade; to start working; to begin in earnest; to put into operation; to be serious; to move forward; to begin seriously; to begin conscientiously; to begin wholeheartedly; to begin purposefully; to begin determinedly; to begin diligently; to treat the matter seriously; to stop equivocating; to end the quibbling; to act directly; to take action; to make a decision; to act decisively; to fulfil our obligations.
Les
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5 Apr 2012
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cunliffe
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This is a very thorough answer from Les. All I would add is that it would really depend on the context as to which formal term you would use. In class, �Stop messing around � means �Stop misbehaving. � �Time for a decision, no more messing around. � means, �Stop procrastinating �. �He �s been messing around with his brother �s girlfriend �, means something different again. And so on....
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5 Apr 2012
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agagug
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Hi Les,
You should write novels... or dictionaries ... |
5 Apr 2012
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ueslteacher
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A question @ Les: why other references I �ve consulted state the following: "...for written academic style, the preferred choice is a single verb wherever possible"? Sophia |
5 Apr 2012
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ldthemagicman
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Dear Greek Professor,
Cunliffe is absolutely correct. The formal phrase chosen MUST be relevant to the context of the subject under discussion. It MUST be appropriate to that situation.
However, the two examples quoted by you were written without reference to their context, so I was obliged to give a wide variety of answers, in order to cover ALL possibilities. Moreover, my answer and the excellent answers from other Members may light a spark of a good idea in your head. Because the context is known to you, you are in a position to choose the most appropriate phrase. For this reason, Cunliffe is completely correct.
Ueslteacher (Sophia) gives us a reference --- �The preferred choice is a single verb wherever possible" --- which is excellently clear. In a perfect situation, a �single verb� could be brief, precise, and unambiguous. The three words have all the hall-marks of good academic writing. Unfortunately, these qualities are not always freely available to us, especially when the original description itself is verbose, imprecise, and ambiguous. The author wisely includes the words --- "wherever possible".
Agagug advises me to write a dictionary!
How melancholy! What a sad reflection on my life that is!
I have a mental image of my childhood, where four scruffy, mischievous ten-year-old boys knock on my front door, on a Saturday afternoon. They ask my Mother:
�Is Les coming out to play football in the street with us?�
My Mother glances upwards towards my bedroom, a pitiable look on her face. Her voice is choking with emotion:
�No! I�m sorry. He doesn�t want to come out to play. He�s writing a Dictionary!�
Just to put the record straight: yesterday I taught 2 students English on Skype, (Brazil and Kazakhstan); then I taught an English girl French conversation, using my PowerPoint Presentations; then I made my wife�s tea. Finally, I went off to my Magic Club, where I gave a 10 minute solo performance at the annual Magic Competition, performing tricks which I had invented, (no, I didn�t win!)
Agagug, if you ever come to the UK, I will treat you to a week of non-stop entertainment! There will not be a dictionary in sight!
Les
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5 Apr 2012
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yanogator
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Also, Sophia, for most of these very informal expressions, there isn �t a single verb that clearly expresses the same thing. And, Les, rather than being a sad reflection on your life, Agagug �s suggestion is obviously meant as high praise for your ability to explain things (a sentiment shared, I �m sure, by all of us). Of course, if you wrote a dictionary, it would be a lexical encyclopedia, because of your thoroughness. Bruce |
5 Apr 2012
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Greek Professor
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Wow guys! I am grateful! I new I could depend on you all. Thanks! |
5 Apr 2012
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