he was filled to the brim with remorse

[alpacinou]

Hello,

Have I used the idiom "filled to the brim" correctly here? Does the sentence work?

He was filled to the brim with remorse for leaving her.

 

[Yankee]

It would be understood.

 

[GoesStation]

How much more filled is filled to the brim than just plain filled with remorse? I think it's a tautology.

 

[EditorBob]

The sentence makes perfect logical sense, and I think that it works well stylistically as well. I disagree with the comment that this would be a tautology. When you think of something being filled (either literally or metaphorically), it doesn't quite have the same punch as being "filled to the brim."

Consider a glass that is filled with water. A glass is normally filled to the point that there is still some space at the top (perhaps half an inch or so). Describing it as filled to the brim suggests some excess. It gives a sense that any movement will cause it to spill, that there is something slightly amiss with just how full it is.

Describing a person's emotional state this way adds some nuance to the statement. A person who is filled with remorse is certainly very sad, but a person who is filled to the brim with remorse has no (metaphorical) room for any other emotion. It suggests that they can't function despite their remorse. It's a little more vivid, a little more specific, and will likely have a bigger impact on the reader.

 

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forum, EditorBob, and thank you for your helpful contribution.

Purely on a technicality, please read this extract from the forum's Posting Guidelines:

You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly in your post.

Thank you.

 

[EditorBob]

Thank you for the clarification. I would be happy to set a signature clarifying my credentials, but it seems I do not have permission to do so.

To clarify for my earlier post:

I am not an English teacher. I was a secondary education teacher for a number of years, during which I taught English (along with most other subjects) but was not specifically an English teacher, and, at any rate, I am no longer a teacher. I do hold a BA in English and have worked professionally as an editor for a little over a decade. I work almost exclusively with college students, though in the past, I have worked with professional writers, journalists, and a copywriting firm.

I hope that is sufficient.

 

[Tarheel]

Saying I am filled with remorse or filled to the brim with remorse both put more emphasis on style than on the feeling itself. I would prefer to keep it simple and say I felt remorseful.

 

[GoesStation]

I would be happy to set a signature clarifying my credentials, but it seems I do not have permission to do so.

To clarify for my earlier post:

I am not an English teacher. I was a secondary education teacher for a number of years, during which I taught English (along with most other subjects) but was not specifically an English teacher, and, at any rate, I am no longer a teacher.

I'd say your credentials qualify you as an English teacher for the purposes of this forum. You're welcome to identify yourself as such in your profile.

You'll be able to add a signature line when you've made ten posts.

Thanks for joining us!

 

[tedmc]

Granted one is free to describe ideas metaphorically but to express fullness by saying that something (a feeling) fills to the brim like a cup is a bit insipid to me. There are better ways to describe it more succinctly like overcome/overwhelmed with remorse/drowned in remorse/flooded in remorse/deluged in remorse.

 

[alpacinou]

Thank you for the clarification. I would be happy to set a signature clarifying my credentials, but it seems I do not have permission to do so.

To clarify for my earlier post:

I am not an English teacher. I was a secondary education teacher for a number of years, during which I taught English (along with most other subjects) but was not specifically an English teacher, and, at any rate, I am no longer a teacher. I do hold a BA in English and have worked professionally as an editor for a little over a decade. I work almost exclusively with college students, though in the past, I have worked with professional writers, journalists, and a copywriting firm.

I hope that is sufficient.

We are very happy to have you here indeed!

 

[Tdol]

I hope that is sufficient.

Welcome. :up:

 

[Tdol]

Hello,

Have I used the idiom "filled to the brim" correctly here? Does the sentence work?

He was filled to the brim with remorse for leaving her.

It's correct. The grammar's fine. The meaning's clear. However, in all honesty, it doesn't work for me. Also, I think we're more likely to talk about regret or guilt that remorse here.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

The sentence makes perfect logical sense, and I think that it works well stylistically as well. I disagree with the comment that this would be a tautology. When you think of something being filled (either literally or metaphorically), it doesn't quite have the same punch as being "filled to the brim."

Consider a glass that is filled with water. A glass is normally filled to the point that there is still some space at the top (perhaps half an inch or so). Describing it as filled to the brim suggests some excess. It gives a sense that any movement will cause it to spill, that there is something slightly amiss with just how full it is.

Describing a person's emotional state this way adds some nuance to the statement. A person who is filled with remorse is certainly very sad, but a person who is filled to the brim with remorse has no (metaphorical) room for any other emotion. It suggests that they can't function despite their remorse. It's a little more vivid, a little more specific, and will likely have a bigger impact on the reader.

You're right. It's there to add emphasis.

I'm more concerned with whether "to the brim" is too much of a cliche.

Al is something of a fan of purple prose and likes to find words that add color and drama. Does "to the brim"? Or does it just slow the sentence down? I'm on the fence.