[Grammar] Spit on/at ?

[hooman79108]

Hi all
I want to know which preposition should be used after "spit"? spit on or spit at ?
Thank you

 

[Tdol]

You can use both- I would use spit at to indicate the direction, but not necessarily whether it hit the target, but spit on for where/who it hit.

 

[emsr2d2]

I spat at the man.
I spat on the man's head.

 

[billmcd]

Hi all
I want to know which preposition should be used after "spit"? spit on or spit at ?
Thank you

"On" = hit the target
"At" = missed the target

 

[emsr2d2]

"On" = hit the target
"At" = missed the target

I'm not sure I would agree completely with that.

I spat at the man and hit him square in the face.

 

[billmcd]

I'm not sure I would agree completely with that.

I spat at the man and hit him square in the face.

And I don't think I completely agree with yours either. Suppose "I spat at the man and missed". But, I think, based on the original thread by hooman79108 and without a complete sentence I should have posted "at = in the direction of (result unknown)".

 

[emsr2d2]

And I don't think I completely agree with yours either. Suppose "I spat at the man and missed". But, I think, based on the original thread by hooman79108 and without a complete sentence I should have posted "at = in the direction of (result unknown)".

Sorry, I wasn't suggesting that "I spat at the man and hit him ..." was the only possible outcome, I simply meant that using "at" doesn't necessarily mean that the shot went wide of the target.