[General] crying for mom/crying for rain

[Silverobama]

Hi.

A baby is crying, maybe she needs the hug of her mom. Is it natural to say "The baby is crying for mom".

My friend's garden hasn't seen rain for many days. Is it natural to say "The garden is crying for rain".

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi.

A baby is crying; maybe she needs [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] a hug [STRIKE]of[/STRIKE] from her mom. Is it natural to say "The baby is crying for her mom"?

My friend's garden hasn't seen rain for many days. Is it natural to say "The garden is crying out for rain"?

Note my corrections above.

If you don't use "her" in the first one, you need to capitalise "Mom".
"crying" doesn't work in the second because a garden is incapable of crying. You can use "crying out for", meaning "in desperate need of".

 

[Skrej]

I disagree that the 2nd sentence doesn't work with just 'crying', if intended metaphorically or as personification.

It's actually fairly common in my semi-arid rural farming community to refer to any flora as 'begging', 'crying', 'asking' or similar "speaking" verbs. We only tend to use it when there is obvious sign of wilt or damage from lack of moisture versus just a offhand comment that it's time to irrigate something.

The crops are crying for rain.
Those trees are begging for a drink.
Those tomato plants are craving water.
That grass is screaming for water.
The garden's just asking for a drink, isn't it?

 

[Silverobama]

Then the "crying for" and "crying out for" is a case of AE&BrE differences.

Those tomato plants are craving water.

I think this one should be "....are craving for water" not "craving".

 

[GoesStation]

I think this one should be "....are craving for water" not "craving".

No. "Crave" is transitive. It does not take a preposition. Confusingly, you can have a craving for water.

 

[tedmc]

I think it is common for verbs to be used metaphorically with inaminate objects to creat empathy as if they can feel and behave like humans.