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ESL forum >
Ask for help > "Anything but Nostalgic"
"Anything but Nostalgic"
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douglas
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"Anything but Nostalgic"
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Hi All,
Even as a native speaker, I am having a problem trying to understand the true meaning of "anything but nostalgic". I am working on an article on North Korea �s Kim Jong-un with my advanced group. The text says:
"U.S, officials insist they are anything but nostalgic for Kim Jong-il."
(Kim Jong-il was Kim Jong-un �s predecessor)
Does this mean that they miss him/wish he was back in office or that they prefer Kim Jong-un or that the don �t really miss Kim Jong-il, but it could be that we would be better off if he was in office?
Cheers,
Douglas |
16 May 2013
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anaisabel001
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Hi Douglas,
In my humble opinion I think that it means that they don �t miss King-Jong-il at all.
Definition
of anything but from the Cambridge
Advanced Learner �s Dictionary & Thesaurus
� used to mean the opposite of the stated
quality: She �s meant to be really nice but she was anything but nice when I met
her.
Have a nice day!
Ana Isabel
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16 May 2013
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douglas
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thanks Ana, I agree with "anything but" meaning not (the opposite) I guess my problem lies in what the opposite of "nostalgic" is in this context. |
16 May 2013
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alex1968
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It means they don �t want him back
If you �re nostalgic for sth, it means you miss it and want it back...
I �m nostalgic for my old pay check!!! (True story!!! We �ve had so many cut backs... )
So, anything but nostalgic for means they definitely don �t miss/long for him or want him back
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16 May 2013
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douglas
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I am beginning to see it that way too Alex, it just seems contradictory to the message of the article
In the text, they are speaking about how his son is undesirable because of his unpredictablilty, but they are "anything but nostaglic" for Kim Jong-il.
This discussion is helping, thank you.
Douglas |
16 May 2013
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yanogator
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Douglas, Maybe they �re saying that things are bad now, but they wouldn �t want to go ack to Kim Jong-il, either. Bruce |
16 May 2013
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anaram
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I got
curious and traced the article. I suppose you�re referring to this
paragraph:
�U.S.
officials insist they are anything
but nostalgic for Kim Jong-il, who was seen by Washington as dangerous though
at least predictable.�
So, I think
Bruce is right but I find the phrasing a bit strange. It may be because
actually there are two voices coming too close: the U.S. officials� statement (we
do not miss Kim Jong-il at all) and the writer�s explanation (but at least he
was considered predictable). In a way, the writer seems to question the US
officials� version and he might be suggesting: �this is the diplomatic position but we all
know Washington considered him at least predictable�
I think the
choice of the reporting verb (insist) is not unintentional; there is a previous
sentence which, I think, points in that
direction too:
�Still,
the Obama administration insists there
is no cause for alarm. �
Ana
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16 May 2013
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dmharg
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I think it means that they don �t feel nostalgic at all. They feel everything else but nostalgic. Don �t miss him at all :)
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16 May 2013
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