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04-May-2008, 01:21
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| |  arm's length
Hi,
Is the following sentence correct?
'What makes me desperate, is that the solution is at our arm's length and what are we doing? Let me tell you: Absolutely nothing!' |
04-May-2008, 02:33
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| |  Re: arm's length
No, I think you want to say that it's within reach, not at arm's length. |
04-May-2008, 03:01
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| | Re: arm's length
Quote:
Originally Posted by bieasy  Hi,
Is the following sentence correct?
'What makes me desperate, is that the solution is at our arm's length and what are we doing? Let me tell you: Absolutely nothing!' | At arm's length=at some distance. For example "keep someone at arm's length"=At such a distance that physical or social contact is discouraged.
Yet, I came across this (named as Indian English) idiom and am not sure myself what to think  .
See th link: At arm's length - UsingEnglish.com |
04-May-2008, 04:35
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| | Re: arm's length
keep one at arms length-means keepthe person away from you as he is undesirable |
04-May-2008, 11:36
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| | Re: arm's length
So something we have at arm's length couldn't mean something we could reach? |
04-May-2008, 13:11
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| | Re: arm's length
Well, you ( could, might be able to) reach it, but in most situations, it's used to describe something just out of reach.
Keep those cookies at arm's length from me. I am on a diet!
The mother wisely kept the toys at arm's length from the child in the cart.
The nomination is still at arm's length for both Clinton and Obama.
(Bet that's where you saw this term  ) |
04-May-2008, 20:53
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| | Re: arm's length
Quote:
Originally Posted by susiedqq Well, you ( could, might be able to) reach it, but in most situations, it's used to describe something just out of reach.
Keep those cookies at arm's length from me. I am on a diet!
The mother wisely kept the toys at arm's length from the child in the cart.
The nomination is still at arm's length for both Clinton and Obama.
(Bet that's where you saw this term ) | Wrong! I watched "An inconvenient truth". You know, the presentation of Al Gore about global warming. I think he used this term at the beginning of his speech. I tried to use it in another subject, but I think I won't  |
04-May-2008, 22:39
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| | Re: arm's length
Quote:
Originally Posted by bieasy Wrong! I watched "An inconvenient truth". You know, the presentation of Al Gore about global warming. I think he used this term at the beginning of his speech. I tried to use it in another subject, but I think I won't | So what did Mr. Gore say? (A paragraph or two will do.) 
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05-May-2008, 11:45
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| | Re: arm's length
Quote:
Originally Posted by RonBee So what did Mr. Gore say? (A paragraph or two will do.) | At arm's length=away from friendliness .Is usage in the above sentence correct? |
05-May-2008, 14:04
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| | Re: arm's length
Quote:
Originally Posted by banderas At arm's length=at some distance. For example "keep someone at arm's length"=At such a distance that physical or social contact is discouraged.
Yet, I came across this (named as Indian English) idiom and am not sure myself what to think .
See th link: At arm's length - UsingEnglish.com | That's a new one on me. In my understanding, the term 'at arm's length' doesn't have to mean socially/personally very distant, just distant enough to be considered fair: an 'arm's length transaction' is a deal between people who are careful to show that they are taking market forces into account, and not giving each other preferential treatment. So to keep someone at arm's length is not to shun them completely ('to keep them at bay', 'to give them a wide berth [ sic - spelt with an e]'...) but to keep an appropriate distance apart.
b
Last edited by BobK; 05-May-2008 at 14:16.
Reason: Fix typo
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