[Vocabulary] dump out

[maiabulela]

In the program "The Amazing Race", One team choose to search for a licorice cookie in 600 boxes of cookies. They said

"We will choose the cookie task, six hundred box. Then we can dump all out on the table"

note that the cookies boxes are on a table.

What is the meaning of "dump all out"?

waiting for your reply
Thanks alot

 

[emsr2d2]

In the program "The Amazing Race", one team chooses to search for a licorice cookie in 600 boxes of cookies. They said,

"We will choose the cookie task, six hundred box. Then we can dump all out on the table"

Note that the cookies boxes are on a table.

What is the meaning of "dump all out"?

I am waiting for your reply.
Thanks a lot.

I would have expected them to say "Then we can dump them all out on the table".

Anyway, it basically means that they plan to open all the boxes and empty the contents onto the table. If you "dump" something out of something else, or onto something else, then you tip them out.

For example:

I have a large cardboard box full of pens and pencils. I specifically want to find the purple pen but I can't see it, so I decide that the easiest way is to empty all the pens and pencils onto a table so that I can see them more clearly. I might say "I'm going to dump all the pens and pencils onto the table" or "I'm going to dump them all out of the box [onto the table] so I can look through them."

It suggests that I am simply going to get the box, tip it upside down so all the pens and pencils fall out at the same time. I'm not going to carefully take the contents out one by one.

 

[maiabulela]

I would have expected them to say "Then we can dump them all out on the table".

Anyway, it basically means that they plan to open all the boxes and empty the contents onto the table. If you "dump" something out of something else, or onto something else, then you tip them out.

For example:

I have a large cardboard box full of pens and pencils. I specifically want to find the purple pen but I can't see it, so I decide that the easiest way is to empty all the pens and pencils onto a table so that I can see them more clearly. I might say "I'm going to dump all the pens and pencils onto the table" or "I'm going to dump them all out of the box [onto the table] so I can look through them."

It suggests that I am simply going to get the box, tip it upside down so all the pens and pencils fall out at the same time. I'm not going to carefully take the contents out one by one.

Yes! so you mean "we can empty all the boxed on the table", right?

Thanks a lot

 

[e2e4]

/A learner/

I think that

"Dump out" means to turn something up side down and throw all the contest out of it down the floor.

I was trying to dump the small stone piece out but it stayed in my boot.

Also I think that

"To dump something" means "to carelessly" or even using a force of the hand "drop it" to the floor.

"To dump off" means to gather the things and carelessly remove them from the table for example to either the floor, another box, a trash bag or similar thing.

But your sentence isn't clear to me at all. Seems to me that there are a few mistakes in it.

I'd like to hear a teacher's additional explanation.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes! So you mean "we can empty [the contents of] all the boxes onto the table", right?

Thanks a lot.

You can also say that, yes.

Let's get all the boxes and dump them onto the table = let's put all the boxes onto the table.
Let's get all the boxes and dump the contents out onto the table = let's open the boxes and tip the contents onto the table.

You can't "dump the boxes out" unless they are contained inside something else. In order to "dump something out" it must be "in" something already. So you would dump the boxes onto the table, or dump the contents of the boxes out onto the table.

Having said that, we do frequently contract this to "Let's empty the boxes onto the floor". Of course, we mean to take the contents out, but we would probably just use the shortened version.

 

[Koronas]

I would have expected them to say "Then we can dump them all out on the table".

Correct. However, we often abbreviate words and, if we are talking quickly, we might say: "Then we can dump'm all out on the table".

Just for information, "dump out" is (in some parts of England) used by schoolboys to mean "poo", "crap", "shit" etc.

"He had a massive dump out and used a whole roll of toilet paper!"

(This is not a polite expression so I don't advise you to use it - but it's good to be able to understand it.)

 

[emsr2d2]

Correct. However, we often abbreviate words and, if we are talking quickly, we might say: "Then we can dump'm all out on the table".

Just for information, "dump out" is (in some parts of England) used by schoolboys to mean "poo", "crap", "shit" etc.

"He had a massive dump out and used a whole roll of toilet paper!"

(This is not a polite expression so I don't advise you to use it - but it's good to be able to understand it.)

I agree that "dump them" might be abbreviated in speech to "dump 'em" but the OP said that the quote was "dump all out" with no suggestion of the word "them" or its abbreviation.

"To have a dump" or "to take a dump" does indeed mean to defecate. I have never heard "to have a dump-out" but perhaps it's used in a different part of England from my own.

 

[Koronas]

perhaps it's used in a different part of England to my own.

I hate to question a teacher but I was taught that "different" is always followed by "from". I accept that "different to" is in common usage, especially in America, but is it now accepted?

 

[emsr2d2]

I hate to question a teacher but I was taught that "different" is always followed by "from". I accept that "different to" is in common usage, especially in America, but is it now accepted?

Ha ha!!! You're so right. It's even one of my bugbears, so I have no excuse for my appalling use of "different to"! I've edited my post. Blame the stress of my new job and a lack of sleep. Thanks.

 

[Koronas]

That's OK. I'm a writer but I'm not perfect and I often get things wrong, even at 59 !
Many thanks.