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Thread: Please explain the meaning of this phrase

  1. #1
    kwanbhan is offline Newbie
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    Default Please explain the meaning of this phrase

    What does "to take some catching", as in the following sentence, mean?

    Now that he has the swagger of multiple wins this season, he’s going to take some catching and I couldn’t be happier for him.

    Please explain?
    Thank you very much in advance

    Kwanbhan

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Please explain the meaning of this phrase

    Welcome to the forum.

    It's going to be very difficult for anyone to catch up with him. He is a long way in the lead or in the standings of a competition etc.
    Last edited by emsr2d2; 15-Feb-2013 at 17:55. Reason: Welcome message - hadn't spotted it was the OP's first post.
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    Remember - correct capitalisation, punctuation and spacing make posts much easier to read.

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    Default Re: Please explain the meaning of this phrase

    Welcome to Using English.
    Thank you for using correct English when asking your question.

    I believe - though more context would help - that it means "It will be hard to catch up with him." Perhaps he is #1 in some sort of list?

    One other request for future posts: A lot of people need to know what a phrase means. Naming your thread with the phrase you're asking about would help. So, you could have called this one "take some catching." Thanks!
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    I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.

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    Default Re: Please explain the meaning of this phrase

    We use the "take some verb+ing" quite a lot.

    Felix Baumgartner holds the world record for the highest freefall and for breaking the sound barrier. That'll take some beating!

    We are planning to make the biggest omelette in the world. It will contain 850 eggs. It's going to take some cooking!
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    kwanbhan is offline Newbie
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    Default Re: Please explain the meaning of this phrase

    Thank you very much indeed. I am very lucky to have found this wonderful forum.

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    billmcd is online now Key Member
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    Default Re: Please explain the meaning of this phrase

    Quote Originally Posted by emsr2d2 View Post
    Welcome to the forum.

    It's going to be very difficult for anyone to catch up with him. He is a long way in the lead or in the standings of a competition etc.
    I agree, but I think in AmE you would more often hear/read "it's" rather than "he's", because "it" refers to the effort of catching and you would also more often hear/read "catching up".

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