This time we’re going to look at some verbal collocations (verb + noun) with body parts. We’re starting with hands and fingers.
You probably know quite a few of them, but there’s always something new. I hope the accompanying images will make their meanings clear.
- She walked straight toward Adam and shook his hand warmly.
- Just yesterday, I was in Toledo shaking some hands in a line.
- They were kissing and holding hands along the street.
- We weren’t allowed to hold hands with a boy.
- Now, you will all join hands, clear your minds, and relax.
- We have joined hands in prayer in both good and bad time
- He reached out and laid his hand on the table.
- She reached across the table to lay her hand on his.
Besides its literal meaning, as above, lay hand on has a somewhat figurative meaning when it is followed by a person. But you’ll guess the meaning because it’s the same in Portuguese:
- But she knows that’s what I want so she never laid a hand on me: just screamed until I went away.
- The slap that came was unexpected, and the first and last time she ever laid a hand on me in anger.
- If you ever lay a hand on her again, I’ll kill you.
This one is easy:
- I clasped my hands upon my stomach.
- Big George clasped his hands behind his back.
- She clasped her hands together and took a deep breath.
Helping hand is actually an adjectival collocation, but it very often occurs with the verb to lend in the meaning of ‘to give’:
- Will people still be willing to lend a helping hand?
- For hard-to-reach areas, ask a friend to lend a helping hand.
- Someday, the one who needs a helping hand may be you.
The next ones are very common ones and you’ve probably made these gestures a thousand times:
- The colonel raised a hand to quiet him.
- Half of the people in the audience raised their hands.
- Then I raised my hand: Wait a minute, give me a minute.
- ‘He’s opening his eyes!’ My girls clapped their hands and hugged each other.
- He clapped his hands and a servant struck a hanging gong.
- She clapped her hands, encouraging them to join in.
- He set down the rest of the doughnut and folded his hands behind his neck.
- Rachel smiled, put down the magazine, folded her hands, and waited.
- I stretched next to her, folding my hands like a pillow under my head.
- Sam snapped her fingers and brought Kerry out of her trance.
- You just have to get married and – he snapped his fingers – it’s settled.
- You found another dad like that, snapping your fingers
- Marta took a long swallow of soda and drummed her fingers on the table.
- He drummed his fingers along the edge of the table.
- He smiled and stuck his fingers in his mouth
- She stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out a piercing whistle.
- She reached for her tiny purse and stuck her fingers inside.
- I shook my head, ran my fingers through his hair.
- She paused for a moment and ran her fingers over the inscription.
- Fiegen spread his hands wide.
- Dr. Dapper raised his eyebrows and spread his hands. “I cannot deny it, sir.”
- She spread her hands in surrender.
Here are some verbal collocations with a figurative meaning:
- By the end of the day, about 570 million shares had changed hands.
- He says the business changed hands three times after the riots.
- How can you say there’s any real opposition if there is no possibility that power will ever be allowed to change hands?
What the prosecutors are warning her about is true, her Romeo is pointing the finger at her and her alone, the ultimate betrayal.- This isn’t about pointing a finger at the Forest Service and saying,’ You’re doing a bad job.
- Nobody is gonna be able to point a finger at me.
- Madame Alain stepped closer, spluttering more insults, shaking her finger under the girl’s nose.
- She caught hold of the little boy’s arms, spun him around and shook a finger at him, reprimanding him.
- She stuck her finger in Benny’s face to emphasize the importance of timeliness
- When Jim Barbera reached them, he stuck his finger in Dirk’s face and said, “I don’t care if you do have a gold detective’s badge, Coulter. Don’t you ever lay a hand on me again like that or I swear, I’ll –“
The next collocation has the meaning of ‘to discover’, ‘to find out’:
- It’s very hard to put your finger on exactly what they should be doing.
- But there was something going on; she couldn’t put her finger on it.
The same collocation is part of an idiomatic expression, but the image conveyed is quite clear, isn’t it?
- I’m not an elected official who puts a finger in the wind to see what the majority thinks.
- He has the reputation of being someone who’s very calculating, puts his finger up in the wind to check the political winds.
- He was the type of man who could put his finger in the wind and find his way.
Another idiomatic expression – a very useful one!!!
- Yes, let’s keep our fingers crossed for the next two months watching the hurricanes.
- Keep your fingers crossed that he does what he’s told.
- And Ron Paul is keeping his fingers crossed for his first victory.
- He’s keeping his fingers crossed that his strategy will keep working.
So, let’s keep our fingers crossed for our country to overcome the present crisis.
All the best
Stella
