Against the grain

You can find a definition of this idiom here.

Well, can you give an example of how we can apply this idiom in a certain situation...
Thanks..
lolo

The current American administration has a policy of not admitting to making mistakes, yet it has done so in the recent tragic events with the hurricane. This admission, therefore, went against the grain. The grain is the direction in a piece of wood- if you go against the grain, the surface becomes rough, if you go with the grain, you can make it smooth. ;-)

Thanks tdol for the clarification, however I was lloking for a conversationla example.. well, this is what I cam up with...

" We thought that the city will survive the hurricane... but unfortunetley the facts went against the grain...."

Is this ok???????? :-(

Here are some examples from the excellent site http://view.byu.edu/ (if you want real eaxmples of something, just try going there and typing the word opr phrase in):



3 A15 to place a bolt and go so radically against the grain; sympathetic with Dave's strong conviction; peeved that
4 A4A Hendon'). Only Arnold Brown ran slightly against the grain. "I don't think it's very intelligent
5 A9M sees nothing in the single market which cuts against the grain of her policies over the past decade, since it
6 AAP cause for real alarm. Nature conservation runs against the grain of current political doctrine. In a new age of
7 AB3 . Morbidly inward, unforgiving, Cave goes against the grain of the times by being sick but refusing to be
8 ABD friendship runs through these essays, cutting against the grain of the totalitarian state. Mr Baranczak himself left
9 ABJ as candidates for election. That may go against the grain for some AGP leaders, who entered politics as advocates
10 AC2 of a million people. This situation went against the grain, as the top brass always needed to be on top of
11 AM4 of Britain's water industry … runs against the grain of Mr Delors" social strategy." Here
12 AN4 marriage is, in some sense, going against the grain. Jonathan Swift often presents a decidedly unpleasant view of
13 AP0 was one of those pictures that went totally against the grain of everything that the movie industry believed it stood for
14 APS is a novel which in many ways goes against the grain of recent writing in Italy: quite at odds with
15 APU showing a distaste for outdoor pursuits that ran against the grain of their family life. His mother and father told
16 ART from sixties hippiedom. The Smiths run directly against the grain. They are far from perfect: a gulf appears naturally
17 ART the very idea of a re-mix fell directly against the grain of the code of ethics publicly laid down by The
18 ARX They are obliged to make decisions that go against the grain. Unhappily there is a new breed of librarian who
19 B20 handling things, certainly. However it goes against the grain to tell them anything. I'd prefer to deal
20 B71 , though I must admit it did go against the grain and I did think vaguely of "bowser bottles"
21 B73 is taken as gospel. Although it goes against the grain to say this, the exercise is valuable, if
22 B7C Such trends, however, very much go against the grain of the egalitarian principle that pervades the German university system
23 B7C research-orientated academics feel strongly enough to go against the grain and form a sort of elitist under ground for
24 BMC grading is highly personal decision that goes against the grain of usual standards. The wartime Hallé ensemble and
25 BNC folk, an age-old code, it was against the grain, to interfere in a thing like this, Rubberneck
26 CAD , a simple set of songs that went against the grain of the mesmeric dub that was then dominating reggae.
27 CB1 a law, one goes either with or against the grain of it, as in chopping wood. Le Gall
28 CB1 only what pleases it can push towards awareness against the grain of organic functioning. Our choice of "aware"
29 CBR Now clearly a teaching approach which goes against the grain of natural disposition will create needless difficulties for the
30 CBT have to cover it, but it goes against the grain to be sweeping up behind another paper's scoops.
31 CD5 dogs. Prices from £50–£140. Going against the grain of long split skirts and leather jeans, some
32 CDB gun, which Rufus gathered had rather gone against the grain. Since then he had often recalled what Adam said
33 CES harmony for so many years, it went against the grain. The reason for breaking our vows were pecuniary and
34 CGE some twentieth-century slaves thinking such sentiments run sharply against the grain. Is Paul saying, now you are a Christian
35 CL7 " "It's not --; it's against the grain. One of the questions I ask is: "
36 DCJ the side of a revolt which is going against the grain of erm of certainly for Russia of course of er of
37 EAJ delusion", but that it also ran against the grain of English history: Federalism, as the dissolution of
38 ED4 , and shutting them up in cages goes against the grain, but my sister's two Burmese love the car
39 ED7 . One of the few Irish studios going against the grain by attracting international acts here to record. Recent guests
40 ED9 What I'm trying to do is rub against the grain of Thatcherism, not with it." Granted,
41 EVS superior in the ranks. It just went against the grain. So the male comandantes would make a special point
42 EWA Even so, this kind of exercise probably goes against the grain for a large number of readers, who will ask
43 EWC lot sooner or later, and it goes against the grain to hang about and admit we daren't visit them
44 FAK , in that it appears to work so deeply against the grain of modern consciousness. Simmel's essential argument is that
45 FY8 clothing, erm in some ways it went against the grain to do it. But rather than see people going without
46 FYV (we derange each eyebrow with a fingerstroke against the grain), Tod and I can feel the dream just
47 G1R early days at least, anti-Americanism went against the grain of popular feeling within Cuba. Carlos Rafael
48 G20 for promoting private services, but it went against the grain to leave local authorities with so much power, and
49 G2Y bye-laws, too. However, it goes against the grain to have to say this, as it is our
50 GUR flees I done his hair 4 Times Going against the grain: alternatives to exclusion In this chapter Denis Mongon argues
51 GUX would drop in assent: Mary had gone against the grain, against the world, against custom, thought Rosa
52 GW0 along a photograph and that had gone a little against the grain --; in all of her moonlighting so far, she
53 GXJ the local government system are proceeding against the grain of Scottish public opinion, according to researchers at
54 H0D The shares are worthless, and it goes against the grain to see them still quoted, written down as they
55 H7E voice, testing her response. It went against the grain but she must query the wisdom of such a suggestion
56 H8S enough to take his revenge. It went against the grain to let the brute escape scot-free, but, with
57 H97 had caved in, but it still went against the grain. "So, you've decided to be co-operative
58 HA9 and bolstering shaky morales, but it went against the grain to tell outright lies. In this case, however
59 HA9 n't stop herself, even though it went completely against the grain to tell such blatant lies. "Masses,"
60 HEM can't start fighting and and pulling it against the grain otherwise you you would be in trouble. So every
61 HGG how to use archers, even if it went against the grain to leave too much to them. "If it
62 HGG at least thirty who were French. It went against the grain with Hotspur to let such an illustrious company move south
63 HGG was a strong inducement, nevertheless it went against the grain with him to do homage to an Englishman. "
64 HGG it as you wish, though it goes against the grain with me to see this fellow go free. But
65 HH9 undone. She had forced him to live against the grain of his own nature which was weak and pleasure-loving and
66 HHW national resources in a manner that goes completely against the grain of the marketplace, has not the result of such
67 HTU Rex said. "Striking women always goes against the grain with me." "That's funny,"
68 HUN nature is anti-social, social order comes about against the grain of human nature as a rule, has to be
69 HUN fundamental point he makes, that civilization goes against the grain of human nature, and the question he asks himself
70 HWL he said slowly. "But it goes against the grain." "All in a good cause, Tel
71 JXS smiled thinly. "Yes, it went against the grain. However, my motives, I assure you,
72 JXV odds!" "And that would go against the grain, wouldn't it … to do anything without working
73 JXX . So, as much as it went against the grain, she knew she had no alternative but to fit
74 JY2 was prepared for you." It went against the grain to let him win. But at the height of
75 JY2 with any kind of pretence, it went against the grain to dissemble, but she couldn't end their brief
76 JY5 what I've said." It went against the grain to meekly obey, but the look in his eyes
77 JY9 to bend the truth, it still went against the grain. "You expect me to lie?" she
78 JYE you're thinking, Sophie. It goes against the grain, doesn't it? We imagined ourselves in a
79 K8R wall last year." A lie went against the grain, but was necessary. "The old woman's
80 KAR two burned pans lately, and that goes against the grain. Have a lovely Christmas, and I hope the
81 KAY and disregarded woman. Dona and Anna went against the grain for love, but Dona benefitted and got away with
82 KBH That's right, yeah. Really goes against the grain to see. Mm. Well we don't really
83 KC0 Yeah, yeah. Mm. It goes against the grain terribly! And I am if at five minutes to
84 KS0 mean, you know, obviously it goes against the grain of the signing of the tropical hardwood. I was

I think ' against the grain' means not follow the nature or normal way to do something. Is it right?;-)

Yes, because it goes against the pattern you find acceptable or are used to. It orignates from the grain of wood, which forces carpenters to work with the grain to make the surface smooth.

It goes against the grain for me to lie.

~R

be/go against the grain= be or do something different from what is normal or natural


e.g.

It goes against the grain for her to spend a lot of on clothes.

NOTE: The grain is the natural direction of lines in a piece of wood.




Madox

Oh i voted on wrong one............