put ajar

[birdeen's call]

I was thinking today about a Polish verb which means put/set ajar. It is a commonly used verb. I think there is no commonly used verb for this in English. I have never heard a native speaker say "put ajar", "set ajar" or "half-open" as a verb. I think I've heard "leave ajar" (I have certainly read this a couple of times) but it has a different meaning. When you want someone to set a door or a window ajar, what do you say? I actually think I've never heard a native speaker make such a request.

 

[SoothingDave]

I don't think so either. If I were to ask someone to do this, I would say something like "don't close it the whole way."

"Ajar" is the kind of word only used by talking cars, whose soothing female voices alert you that "a door is ajar."

(Response: No, a door is a door.)

 

[birdeen's call]

I don't think so either. If I were to ask someone to do this, I would say something like "don't close it the whole way."

"Ajar" is the kind of word only used by talking cars, whose soothing female voices alert you that "a door is ajar."

(Response: No, a door is a door.)

Thanks. And with the window closed at the moment, it would be probably something like "open it just a bit", right?

 

[SoothingDave]

Yes. Or "crack the window open."

 

[emsr2d2]

Open the window a crack.
Open the window a little bit.
Open the window but just leave it ajar.

All of which can/should be preceded by "Please", or preceded by "Could you ..." and ended with "please?"