GRE verbal

[blacknomi]

badger:bother
(A)persecute:injure
(B)quibble:argue


It makes sense that the answer is A. I wonder why B is not.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/defi...4881&dict=CALD


Thanks,
Blacknomi

[englishstudent]

According to the link you posted, the definition of "persecute" is
"to treat someone unfairly or cruelly over a long period of time because of their race, religion, or political beliefs or to annoy someone by refusing to leave them alone"

This may hurt the victim's feelings/emotions, but usually
"injure" is used to mean "to hurt or cause physical injury".

Coming back to "badger", it means "to persuade someone by telling them repeatedly to do something, or to question someone repeatedly".
While it may bother (annoy) the person, it is not the purpose
of the person doing the badgering. He/she is just after getting something
(done).

So, just as in badger:bother there is no direct intention of annoying,
I think in persecute:injure, there is no direct relation
in the sense that "persecution" is at a mental/emtional level,
but "injury" at a physical level.

I am not sure if this is the right explanation. I worked backwards
to come up with the explanation. Given limited time (as in exam
setting), I would have chosen B. :-p

[MrPedantic]

Hello Blacknomi, how are you?

You might look at it like this:

To badger is to bother someone in a persistent or sustained way.
To persecute is to injure someone in a persistent or sustained way.
To quibble is to argue about a small point.

Thus badger/persecute are long-term versions of bother/injure; but quibble is a petty version of argue.

See you later,

MrP

[Coffa]

According to the link you posted, the definition of "persecute" is
"to treat someone unfairly or cruelly over a long period of time because of their race, religion, or political beliefs or to annoy someone by refusing to leave them alone"

This may hurt the victim's feelings/emotions, but usually
"injure" is used to mean "to hurt or cause physical injury".

Coming back to "badger", it means "to persuade someone by telling them repeatedly to do something, or to question someone repeatedly".
While it may bother (annoy) the person, it is not the purpose
of the person doing the badgering. He/she is just after getting something
(done).

So, just as in badger:bother there is no direct intention of annoying,
I think in persecute:injure, there is no direct relation
in the sense that "persecution" is at a mental/emtional level,
but "injury" at a physical level.

I am not sure if this is the right explanation. I worked backwards
to come up with the explanation. Given limited time (as in exam
setting), I would have chosen B. :-p

This isn't true actually - 'injuring someone's feelings' is a common English expression.

The correct answer is A for the reason Mr. P alluded to:

To 'Badger' is to persistently 'bother'.
To 'Persecute' is to persistently 'injure'.

However, to 'quibble' does not mean to persistently 'argue'.

[englishstudent]

This isn't true actually - 'injuring someone's feelings' is a common English expression.
The correct answer is A for the reason Mr. P alluded to:
To 'Badger' is to persistently 'bother'.
To 'Persecute' is to persistently 'injure'.
However, to 'quibble' does not mean to persistently 'argue'.

OK. I understand now. 'Persistence' is the key here.
Thank you MrP and Coffa.

[blacknomi]

Hello Blacknomi, how are you?

You might look at it like this:

To badger is to bother someone in a persistent or sustained way.
To persecute is to injure someone in a persistent or sustained way.
To quibble is to argue about a small point.

Thus badger/persecute are long-term versions of bother/injure; but quibble is a petty version of argue.

See you later,

MrP

Hi, P!

You just lightened me up!

How come I the sense of "in a persistent or sustained way" didn't occur to me! Silly silly!

How am I? I'm finally survival after a boiling hot summer. How about you? I hear one of my friends say that weather in England is a bit grey and a bit cold. But P's explanation obviously outwits the greyish sky and coldness.

Enjoy your tea!


Me

[blacknomi]

Thank you, Coffee's friend!

[MrPedantic]

I hear one of my friends say that weather in England is a bit grey and a bit cold.

Oh, I like "grey and cold". They switch me off between June and August and stack me in a corner. No good to anyone.

[englad]

Hi, P!

You just lightened me up!

How come I the sense of "in a persistent or sustained way" didn't occur to me! Silly silly!

How am I? I'm finally survival after a boiling hot summer. How about you? I hear one of my friends say that weather in England is a bit grey and a bit cold. But P's explanation obviously outwits the greyish sky and coldness.

Enjoy your tea!


Me

hai Blacknomi,

what the phrase 'Enjoy your tea' means?

[Anglika]

hai Blacknomi,

what the phrase 'Enjoy your tea' means?

Welcome to the forums. Please note this thread is a year old!

"Enjoy your tea" >> exactly that - have pleasure in drinking your tea, and by extension in England, eating your tea, which is a small meal taken in late afternoon.