Fasting

[Ju]

Tim will be fasting until sundown tomorrow.

Can I say:

1. Tim will be "on fasting" until sundown tomorrow.

2. Tim will be "in fasting" until sundown tomorrow.

 

[GoesStation]

No.

 

[Ju]

No.

Can I say:

I'm fasting for body checkup today.

 

[Phaedrus]

Can I say:

1. Tim will be "on fasting" until sundown tomorrow.

2. Tim will be "in fasting" until sundown tomorrow.

If you omitted the quotation marks, (2) would work, provided Tim was fasting as a structured religious observance. Compare:

Tim will be in mourning until sundown tomorrow. (We don't have to say, Tim will be mourning until sundown tomorrow.)

 

[GoesStation]

In mourning is a fixed phrase, possibly derived from the practice of wearing special garments while mourning. No such phrase exists for fasting, so "in fasting" does not work.

 

[Phaedrus]

Are you sure?

"Wherever you go and wherever you may be, always be in fasting and prayer." (source)

"He says, therefore, that he wept, and that his soul was in fasting, and that he was clad in sackcloth . . . ." (source)

"From the dark half day of the lunar fortnight, the Rajbanshi women used to be in fasting." (source)

 

[Phaedrus]

No such phrase exists for fasting, so "in fasting" does not work.

Don't let the moderator likes go to your head, Ju. The quotations above prove that it exists and works just fine.

 

[Phaedrus]

Indeed, I would go so far as to say that Tim will be in fasting until sundown tomorrow is ELEGANT in a religious context.

 

[Phaedrus]

And this Ngram shows how uncommon it is.

That doesn't change the fact that it is used, that it is perfectly correct, and that it is even elegant in the right context.

 

[Rover_KE]

Can I say this?

I'm fasting for body checkup today.

No, but you can say

I'm fasting for a blood test tomorrow.

 

[Ju]

No, but you can say

I'm fasting for a blood test tomorrow.

If the body check is taken place today, can I say:

"I'm fasting for a body checkup today."
(I've put "a" before "body checkup".)

 

[GoesStation]

If the body check is taking place today, can I say:

"I'm fasting for a body checkup today."
(I've put "a" before "body checkup".)

Don't say body checkup.

 

[Ju]

Don't say body checkup.

Then, should I say "checkup" only?

 

[emsr2d2]

Then, should I say "checkup" only?

Yes, or be more specific about exactly what happened.

 

[GoesStation]

Then, should I say "checkup" only?

Yes. I should have also said "don't write body check (unless you're writing about ice hockey)."

 

[Ju]

Yes. I should have also said "don't write body check (unless you're writing about ice hockey)."

May I know why?

 

[Tarheel]

Because it's not called that.

 

[GoesStation]

May I know why?

Because a body check is a violent deflection of an opposing hockey player. It isn't a medical check-up.