Read Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts Online
Authors: Richard Spears
Smile when you say that
.
I will interpret that remark as a joke or as kidding.
J
OHN
: You're a real pain in the neck. B
OB
: Smile when you say that
.
S
UE
: I'm going to bop you on the head! J
OHN
: Smile when you say that!
Snap it up
!
Hurry up! (Colloquial.)
J
OHN
: Come on, Fred. Snap it up! F
RED
: I'm hurrying! I'm hurrying!
S
ALLY
: Snap it up! You're going to make us late. J
OHN
: That's exactly what I had in mind.
Snap to it
!
Move faster!; Look alert!
B
ILL
: Snap to it! M
ARY
: Don't rush me!
J
OHN
: Get in line there. Snap to it! S
ALLY
: What is this, the army? You just wait till I'm ready!
So?
Go to So (what)?
so 1
.
a sentence opener used to break a silence in a conversation or aggressively start a new topic. (Words such as this often use intonation to convey the connotation of the sentence that is to follow. The brief intonation pattern accompanying the word may indicate sarcasm, disagreement, caution, consolation, sternness, etc.)
A
NDREW
: So, I'm new around here. Where's the fun? B
OB
: You must be new. There's never been any fun around here
.
“So, how are you?” asked Kate
.
A
NDREW
: So, when do we eat? R
ACHEL
: Don't you have any manners?
B
OB
: So, what you been doing? B
ILL
: Not much
.
A
NDREW
: So, been keeping busy? B
OB
: No. I been taking it easy
.
2
.
a defensive sentence opener that takes an offensive tone.
F
RED
: So I made a mistake. So what? J
OHN
: It caused us all a lot of trouble. That's what
.
A
LICE
: So I'm not perfect! What does that prove? A
NDREW
: Nothing, I guess.