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
