[Idiom] Does this idiomatic expression sound natural to a native ear?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Casp

Member
Joined
May 17, 2010
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Swedish
Home Country
Sweden
Current Location
Sweden
*Warning: gross subject!*

For those of you who are native speakers of English, is this idiomatic expression correct English? Do you understand the meaning? Is it too descriptive? The text is about acne:


"The big, ugly red bumps simply shrank, as if a valve to the pus formation had been turned off!"


Many thanks.
 
Last edited:
Thanks very much for your suggestion. I was actually describing something that is closer to a boil than a pimple. Is my suggestion grammatically wrong or can it be used? (it would be nice for me to know - I would prefer to stay as close to the original sentence as possible).
 
Yes, "gross" it the right word to use about this subject! Sorry to bring this up - it is obviously taken out of content but that still makes it gross.

Thanks again - I appreciate your help. ;-)
 
But if you turn off the taps, no more goes in, but there's no reason to think anything goes OUT. I would not assume something shrank or disspearred just because it doesn't get any bigger.
 
But if you turn off the taps, no more goes in, but there's no reason to think anything goes OUT. I would not assume something shrank or disspearred just because it doesn't get any bigger.

Thanks for your help. That is actually a good point. Would this work instead?

"It was as if a valve to the pus formation had been turned off - soon after the big, ugly red bumps simply shrank and no new ones appeared."
 
"It was as if a valve to the pus formation had been turned off - soon after the big, ugly red bumps simply shrank and no new ones appeared."
The title of your thread is: Does this idiomatic expression sound natural to a native ear?

My answer is an emphatic no.

As Gillnetter said, this is rather gross.

I might not be surprised to find your sentence in a modern novel, but not elsewhere.
 
The title of your thread is: Does this idiomatic expression sound natural to a native ear?

My answer is an emphatic no.

As Gillnetter said, this is rather gross.

I might not be surprised to find your sentence in a modern novel, but not elsewhere.

Thanks for your opinion.

Yes, any text that describes anything related to pus is gross by definition - I feel that way too. I only use this idiomatic expression to describe a rather amazing outcome. I guess it doesn't work...

Sorry to gross you out - that wasn't my intention at all :-(
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ask a Teacher

If you have a question about the English language and would like to ask one of our many English teachers and language experts, please click the button below to let us know:

(Requires Registration)
Back
Top