[Vocabulary] Phrasal verb

[Guilherme Sabato]

I guess you could include in your phrasal verb list the phrasal verb
To whisk off. I guess it means to brush or to wipe lightly.
Guilherme

 

[emsr2d2]

The only use I know of "whisk off" is when someone takes someone else away on a (sometimes surprise) holiday.

Sue: What are you doing for Jane's birthday?
John: I'm whisking her off to Venice for a long weekend.
Sue: Wow, lucky girl!

It has absolutely nothing to do with brushing or wiping. Where did you get the idea that that was the meaning?

 

[Skrej]

The only use I know of "whisk off" is when someone takes someone else away on a (sometimes surprise) holiday.

Sue: What are you doing for Jane's birthday?
John: I'm whisking her off to Venice for a long weekend.
Sue: Wow, lucky girl!

It has absolutely nothing to do with brushing or wiping. Where did you get the idea that that was the meaning?

I have heard both definitions - in fact a 'whisk broom' is a commonly used (at least where I live) term for a small hand-held brush/broom.

So, you might whisk the crumbs off your shirt for example, as well as whisking someone off for a trip.

Edit: Although to clarify, when you whisk something off, it typically means a brushing/swiping motion with your hands/fingertips, not actually using said whisk broom.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yup. Or whisk away. It's also a noun - the tool cooks use to whisk eggs and sauces.

It might just be American usage.

 

[Tdol]

Thanks- I will add both to the list.

 

[emsr2d2]

OK, in BrE we don't use "to whisk off" or "to whisk away" to mean anything to do with brushing. I've never heard of a whisk broom but, of course, as a kitchen implement, a whisk is the utensil used to whisk eggs, sauces etc.

 

[Skrej]

OK, in BrE we don't use "to whisk off" or "to whisk away" to mean anything to do with brushing. I've never heard of a whisk broom but, of course, as a kitchen implement, a whisk is the utensil used to whisk eggs, sauces etc.

emsr2d2, just out of curiosity, does BrE have a particular name for a small broom such as these?

I always enjoy learning new Anglicisms. Probably my favorite was when an attractive English coworker asked our boss in front of everyone if she could borrow his rubber .... which of course in AmE is something altogether different from what we call an eraser.

 

[Tdol]

Those are brooms for me. Mind you, we don't use those much.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I do agree that in the U.S. we don't usually use it interchangeably with brush. But it would be understood.

 

[Eckaslike]

(Not a Teacher. BrE first language speaker)

The only time I've heard it in this context would be in references to African leaders who used to use fly whisks as symbols of authority. They might use one to whisk off a fly which had landed on their shoulder. I'm not sure if they are used at all today and "whisk off" is not a phrase I would use other than romantically as mentioned by emsr2d2.