Hi, all!


Another strange expression in English. In Russia we see it like "It is the best such people like you can do! (and very possibly there are a lot of people who can do better)."
;-)

But in reality you probably mean "You are a smart guy!"?

PS: Have I put correctly the three last punctuation marks?

Bye, all!
Alexander Koryagin

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* Origin: nntps://fidonews.mine.nu - Lake Ylo - Finland (2:221/360.0)

On 31 Jan 2020 at 09:31a, Alexander Koryagin pondered and said...

Another strange expression in English. In Russia we see it like "It is
the best such people like you can do! (and very possibly there are a lot of people who can do better)."

That's an unfortunate interpretation. I think most people
would say to mean something like, "I see and am pleased that
something good has happened to you" or perhaps "I am happy
that something good has happened to you."

But in reality you probably mean "You are a smart guy!"?

I don't think it's usually a statement of intelligence; it's
rather more general than that. It's often used as an
expression where you might say, "that is good" or "that is great".

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Hi & welcome, Dan! Recently you wrote in a message to Alexander Koryagin:

Another strange expression in English. In Russia we see it
like "It is the best such people like you can do! (and very
possibly there are a lot of people who can do better)."

That's an unfortunate interpretation.

Agreed. I might use it to mean "well done", but in such situations I'm reacting favourably to a person's efforts... not judging a talent contest.

I think most people would say to mean something like, "I see
and am pleased that something good has happened to you" or
perhaps "I am happy that something good has happened to you."

Yes, I've heard it used in such a manner.

But in reality you probably mean "You are a smart guy!"?

I don't think it's usually a statement of intelligence;

I certainly don't take it that way, if intelligence is perceived as the ability to get good marks on standardized tests. As a teacher I recognize that there are many different types of intelligence. And I appreciate that in the E_T echo there are many intelligent readers who can explain various issues in various ways, so I needn't be the Fount of All Knowledge & Wisdom. I can't see the baffled looks on people's faces from where I sit. But I'd give a gold star for Emotional Intelligence to the young man who, in a tale I've recounted here before, said "Grow up, Dude... there's an accident!" to another fellow of +/- the same age who evidently believed the world revolves around him. If I'd shared my thoughts with the latter, he probably couldn't have cared less. :-Q

it's rather more general than that. It's often used as
an expression where you might say, "that is good" or
"that is great".

My CANADIAN OXFORD says it is an "exclamation of approval towards a person"... and IMHO it could include something a person has said or done which seems exactly right under the circumstances. If their behaviour is out of the ordinary &/or requires a bit of risk-taking, that adds some weight AFAIC. :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hi, Dan Cross! ->Alexander Koryagin
I read your message from 31.01.2020 17:26

Another strange expression in English. In Russia we see it
like "It is the best such people like you can do! (and very
possibly there are a lot of people who can do better)."

That's an unfortunate interpretation. I think most people would say
to mean something like, "I see and am pleased that something good
has happened to you" or perhaps "I am happy that something good has happened to you."

But in reality you probably mean "You are a smart guy!"?

I don't think it's usually a statement of intelligence; it's rather
more general than that. It's often used as an expression where you
might say, "that is good" or "that is great".

That is something inanimate. May be "well done!" is more close to "good for you"?

Bye, Dan!
Alexander Koryagin
english_tutor 2020

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* Origin: nntps://fidonews.mine.nu - Lake Ylo - Finland (2:221/360.0)

Hi, Ardith Hinton! ->Dan Cross!
I read your message from 04.02.2020 00:14

My CANADIAN OXFORD says it is an "exclamation of approval towards a person"... and IMHO it could include something a person has said or
done which seems exactly right under the circumstances. If their
behaviour is out of the ordinary &/or requires a bit of risk-
taking, that adds some weight AFAIC. :-)

May be the speaker's intonation is important. Can I say it scornfully to my wife when she cooked something badly, "Good for you!" ;-)

Bye, Ardith!
Alexander Koryagin
english_tutor 2020

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* Origin: nntps://fidonews.mine.nu - Lake Ylo - Finland (2:221/360.0)

On 04 Feb 2020 at 12:28p, Alexander Koryagin pondered and said...

That is something inanimate. May be "well done!" is more close to "good for you"?

Yes, that'd be a fine translation.

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On 04 Feb 2020 at 12:31p, Alexander Koryagin pondered and said...

May be the speaker's intonation is important. Can I say it scornfully to my wife when she cooked something badly, "Good for you!" ;-)

You _can_ use it sarcastically when someone does something
not so great, but that particular usage would sound a little
weird to native speakers.

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On 2/4/2020 5:31 AM, between "Alexander Koryagin : All":

May be the speaker's intonation is important. Can I say it
scornfully to my wife when she cooked something badly, "Good
for you!" ;-)

If you try it to your wife, let us know how that turned out! ;)



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On 2/4/2020 9:12 AM, between "Dan Cross : Alexander Koryagin":

You _can_ use it sarcastically when someone does something
not so great, but that particular usage would sound a little
weird to native speakers.

I tend to use it sarcastically, most of the time, especially when I encounter people who like to boast about their accomplishments too much.


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Hi, August Abolins! ->Alexander Koryagin
I read your message from 05.02.2020 03:38

May be the speaker's intonation is important. Can I say it
scornfully to my wife when she cooked something badly, "Good for
you!" ;-)

If you try it to your wife, let us know how that turned out! ;)

I won't say it in Russian at least. ;-)

PS: Have you solved the problem with Russian text copy pasting?

Bye, August!
Alexander Koryagin
english_tutor 2020

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* Origin: nntps://fidonews.mine.nu - Lake Ylo - Finland (2:221/360.0)

Hi, Alexander! Recently you wrote in a message to All:

My CANADIAN OXFORD says it is an "exclamation of
approval towards a person"... and IMHO it could
include something a person has said or done which
seems exactly right under the circumstances. If
their behaviour is out of the ordinary &/or requires
a bit of risk-taking, that adds some weight AFAIC.

May be the speaker's intonation is important.

Probably. I've heard shop assistants saying "Have a nice day!" in a sarcastic tone of voice when a customer they regard as having behaved badly is about to leave. They're just reading from the script, you understand.... :-Q

Can I say it scornfully to my wife when she cooked
something badly, "Good for you!" ;-)

Well... IMHO cooking is as much an art as a science, and if you're a bit too quick to criticize you may be invited either to do it yourself or take her out for dinner. I don't mind when my family reacts to my attempts to sing with comments like "Don't give up your day job," however. It's a joke which I realize is common among musicians & I don't aspire to being a rock star. :-))




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hi, Alexander! Recently you wrote in a message to All:

Another strange expression in English. In Russia we
see it like "It is the best such people like you can

do! (and very possibly there are a lot of people who
can do better)." ;-)

Hmm. Reminds me of how, year after year, I saw in a local newspaper that an undergraduate in math got a 100% average. In the arts & humanities it is not possible to get a 100% average because the theory is that no matter how good your work is someone else might eventually do better... or the instructor might be embarrassed if there is some flaw which passed unnoticed at the time. As a student & as a teacher I have often felt disadvantaged by this reasoning. OTOH one of the important lessons I learned at university was that even when I couldn't get to the library before all the official commentaries on some piece of literature had been taken out my instructors liked what I had to say. :-))

Have I put correctly the three last punctuation marks?

IMHO, yes. I'd have done what you did there. :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)