slap and smash

Status
Not open for further replies.

Ju

Key Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Hong Kong
Current Location
Hong Kong
I found one of the meaning of smash is quite close to that of slap in a online Thesaurus dictionary.

1. Are slap and smash interchangeable?

2. There is an example in the dictionary:

eg He slapped in her face.

Why do we say in but not on?


Ju
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
In no way are slap and smash interchangeable. Which thesaurus did you find this in?

He slapped in her face is not a natural sentence. Which dictionary did you find that in?

You can say 'He smashed her in the face [with his fist]' and 'He slapped her face [with the palm of his open hand]'.

Rover
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
A thesaurus is not - and as far as I know, never has been - a collection of lists of words that are interchangeable.
 

vil

Key Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2007
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Bulgarian
Home Country
Bulgaria
Current Location
Bulgaria
I'm not a teacher.

Hi Ju,

A thesaurus is a dictionary organized to supply alternative words rather than to offer analytical explanations of what words mean.
Probably, you mean slap = smack.

I’ll smack you one.
I get a smack in the face.

I’ll slap you in the face.
I get a slap in the face.

Ref: The BBI Combinatory Dictionary of English


V.
 
Last edited:

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic

SoothingDave

VIP Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
A thesaurus is a dictionary organized to supply alternative words

It provides similar words. Not all words listed are interchangeable.
 

Ju

Key Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Hong Kong
Current Location
Hong Kong
I'm not a teacher.

Hi Ju,

A thesaurus is a dictionary organized to supply alternative words rather than to offer analytical explanations of what words mean.


Probably, you mean slap = smack.

I’ll smack you one.
I get a smack in the face.

I’ll slap you in the face.
I get a slap in the face.

Ref: The BBI Combinatory Dictionary of English


V.

Oh, I misunderstood alternative meant interchangeable.
For your examples :
  1. I get a smack in the face.
  2. I’ll slap you in the face.
  3. I get a slap in the face.
Why do you say in the face which I thought it should be on the face?


Ju
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Why do you say in the face which I thought [STRIKE]it [/STRIKE]should be on the face?
That just happens to be the preposition we normally use.
 

Ju

Key Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Hong Kong
Current Location
Hong Kong
That just happens to be the preposition we normally use.

Thank you very much.

1. Still remember for all schoolmates during my school time,, there's a textbook of English preposition we carried all the time that we all felt very difficult and tired to remember as there are number of situations which are unexplainable.

Do you think it's still the best way to polish the usage of preposition by purely remembering by heart?

2. Is my above writing correct?

Ju
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
If you smash someone in the face, you hit them very hard, possibly with your fist or a weapon.
 

vil

Key Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2007
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Bulgarian
Home Country
Bulgaria
Current Location
Bulgaria
May I say " He landed me one in the face" ?

V.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top