[Vocabulary] questions about the use of some phrasal verbs

[caesar1983]

1)As it was getting late, we decided to press on/ walk on. Could they both used with the same meaning?
2)I'm sorry to butt in/ break in on you, but I just listened in on you and I have got to say... I think both verbs mean to interrupt in this context, but "butt in" is to join a conversation, taking part, and break in underlines more the fact that someone interrupts the conversation to say something. Is that correct?
3)I didn't want to do it but they egged me on. Does it mean to push someone into doing something? Are they commonly used? Has it got the same meaning of "they put me up to it"?

Thank you all.

 

[emsr2d2]

Have you looked up the definitions of all these phrasal verbs in a dictionary and/or the excellent phrasal verbs section of this forum?

 

[caesar1983]

yes of course I have. If I have asked here in the forum, it's because I still have doubts. Could you be of help?

 

[emsr2d2]

1)As it was getting late, we decided to press on/ walk on. Could they both used with the same meaning?

2)I'm sorry to butt in/ break in on you, but I just listened in on you and I have got to say... I think both verbs mean to interrupt in this context, but "butt in" is to join a conversation, taking part, and break in underlines more the fact that someone interrupts the conversation to say something. Is that correct?

3)I didn't want to do it but they egged me on. Does it mean to push someone into doing something? Are they commonly used? Has it got the same meaning of "they put me up to it"?

Thank you all.

1. They mean roughly the same thing. "Press on" perhaps suggests that there is some urgency but they still both mean "to continue with our journey". Of course "walk on" can only refer to travelling on foot. "Press on" could be walking, driving etc. You can also "press on" with a task.

2. "To butt in" is much more natural and means "to interrupt a conversation". Neither of them really means to simply join in with a conversation. I don't find "to break in" very natural in this context. In BrE, that usually means "to enter a house/premises illegally".

3. "To egg on" means "to encourage someone to do something". It's not really the same as "to put someone up to something" which means "to challenge/dare someone to do something".