[General] stone cold/control freak/lousy/pole position/on the inside/pilled out

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am on the right track by the interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentences?

Football, cricket, rugby, baseball, you name it - they all leave me stone cold.

stone cold = unfeeling, insensible

I know that my aversion to competitive group activities shows that I'm a control freak and a lousy team player.

control freak = one who has an obsessive need to exert control over people and situations, who attempts to dictate how everything around them is done and who care more than you do about something as well as won't stop at being pushy to get their way

lousy = inferior

Mavericks are not tolerated very well in business.

maverick = one that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissente

The term "pole position" comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole.

pole position = the most favorable position at the start of a race

on thee inside = in a position of confidence or influence

Lewis Hamilton, last year’s world champion, who started the final race in the present year from pole position, pulled out with brake problems after only 20 laps.

pull out = leave ; withdraw from an undertaking

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

[pyoung]

Dear V.:

Comments in blue:

Originally Posted by vil

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am on the right track by the interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentences?

Football, cricket, rugby, baseball, you name it - they all leave me stone cold.

stone cold = unfeeling, insensible Yes, and in your example it means, 'I am completely uninterested in sport.' More often people simply say, 'It leaves me cold.' 'Stone cold' is often used to emphasize the extremity of something:
It's a stone cold fact.
He was stone cold sober/dead.

I know that my aversion to competitive group activities shows that I'm a control freak and a lousy team player.

control freak = one who has an obsessive need to exert control over people and situations, who attempts to dictate how everything around them is done and who care more than you do about something as well as won't stop at being pushy to get their way You've nailed it!

lousy = inferior Yes

Mavericks are not tolerated very well in business.

maverick = one that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter Yes. Interesting etymology: Samuel Maverick was a rancher in the American West. He did not brand his cattle as did the other ranchers. This led to confusion over ownership, thus leading to this term being associated with someone with no owner/master, thus, no allegiance to a group.

The term "pole position" comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole.

pole position = the most favorable position at the start of a race Yes

on the inside = in a position of confidence or influence Sometimes, but not a reference to the pole in racing.

Lewis Hamilton, last year’s world champion, who started the final race in the present year from pole position, pulled out with brake problems after only 20 laps.

pull out = leave ; withdraw from an undertaking Yes.

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

I hope this is helpful,

Petra