play and its meanings

[ostap77]

If I knew the movie was going to be popular, would it work to say "It's going to be playing to packed movie theaters"?

 

[emsr2d2]

If I knew the movie was going to be popular, would it work to say "It's going to be playing to packed movie theaters"?

In AmE, yes. In BrE, no (although of course we would understand the meaning). Note that you don't put the full stop inside the quotation marks when there is a question mark at the end of the full question.

 

[ostap77]

Could I say "He played in many movies" and "He played many movies" for "He acted in many movies"?

 

[emsr2d2]

Could I say "He played in many movies" and "He played many movies" for "He acted in many movies"?

Not really, no. "He acted in many movies" or simply "He was in many movies".

 

[ostap77]

So there would need to be a role to use verb "play" as in "He played a detective in his recent movie"?

What about this question "How many movies has Denzel Washington played in"?

 

[emsr2d2]

Your example of "He played a detective" is correct but it doesn't work without the role. We don't usually say "He played in a movie". If someone said that to me, I would say "What did he play?" to which the answer would be something like "Oh, he played a detective".

He acted in a movie.
He played a ballet dancer in a movie.
They are in a movie which comes out next year.
They are playing assassins in a movie which comes out next year.

 

[ostap77]

I can't figure out the meaning of the phrasal verb "play to". Would it mean something like "make use of" or "based on" ? Could I say "A Dan Curtis production plays to events of World War 2"?

 

[emsr2d2]

I can't figure out the meaning of the phrasal verb "play to". Would it mean something like "make use of" or "based on" ? could I say "A Dan Curtis production plays to events of World War 2"?

The only uses I can think of for "play to" are "to play to a crowd" and "play to your strengths". I'm not sure I would describe that as a phrasal verb.

 

[ostap77]

How would you interpret the meaning of it?

1)"That does play to the angst of a lot of Americans who showed up at the polls in Massachusetts."

What would it mean in this sentence?

2)"The near-daily demonization of the insurance industry is an attempt by the White House to play to Americans anxieties about the health-care system -- and about the prospect of changing it." The author would be saying that the White House is going to use anxieties of American people?

 

[Reemy]

I understand play to in these two examples as "aim at or tune to ".

 

[ostap77]

I was just looking it up in my dictionaries. Here's a definition from one of them." 2 play to (something) : to make use of (something)
▪ a film that plays to stereotypes of housewives ▪ In his latest album, he once again plays to his strengths as a classical musician."

Would it be accurate? If so, it would come close in meaning to "make use of"?

 

[ostap77]

I understand there's been a whole bunch of far more important questions. How about you give an answer to mine?

 

[emsr2d2]

I understand there's been a whole bunch of far more important questions. How about you give an answer to mine?

How about you re-read the wording of your post and consider just how rude it comes across?

 

[ostap77]

Yes. I've been rude. How else could I have attracted your attention to it? I need to get a clear answer. Dictionaries give contradictory definitions.

 

[5jj]

Yes. I've been rude. How else could I have attracted your attention to it? I need to get a clear answer. Dictionaries give contradictory definitions.

ostap, you have received thousands of responses to your questions and follow-on questions since you joined the forum. This help is given free, by people who have given up their own time to offer it. One question of yours may not attract responses for a number of reasons. That is no excuse for rudeness.

If you wish to continue to receive help, do not bite the hand that feeds you.