Hailey
"I'm sick to the teeth..." and "I'm fed up to the back teeth..." I'm sick to the teeth with this stupid argument. I'm fed up to the back teeth with this stupid argument. I'm not so sure, but they seem interchangeable...are they? Let me ask another question... nowhere-going argument or going-nowhere argument or nowhere-to-go argument, which one makes sense? (This is about how to make up words, I hear you people do it) Thanks in advance!
Aug 13, 2010 11:51 AM
Answers · 3
1
I agree with Eli, I have never heard sick to the teeth, though in England we do say Sick to the back teeth a lot. I also agree although going nowhere argument is correct, it sounds very awkward and we would never say this. One good way to describe it might be, This is a fruitless argument. or This argument is fruitless. You may also call it pointless. We might also say that the argument is just going round in circles though this refers more to the idea of the same thing being said again and again. You also may like to say the argument is going down or is a one way street, there can be only one outcome.
August 13, 2010
1
I can only speak for myself, as a native speaker of English from the U.S., but I've never heard anyone say "sick to the teeth". I would say, "I'm sick of this stupid argument", or "I'm fed up with this stupid argument". I also think it's more common (and sounds much more natural) to say, "This argument is going nowhere" than to use "going-nowhere" as an adjective.
August 13, 2010
1
Yes, they're interchangeable idiomatic expressions 'a going-nowhere argument' is correct.
August 13, 2010
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