Hi! I try to learn 5 phrases every day.
One of the phrases I learned was - to manage a smile.
We visited him in the hospital, brought some fruits, talked and he managed a smile.
He is a bubbly person, always manages a smile even at difficult time.
Does a native speaker say it like that? Is it casual speech?
Thank you.
PS I have found some references to this phrase at BBC site as well.
Alexey, you have understood the meaning correctly.
The Longman Dictionary gives this definition: To manage a few words/a smile etc: to make yourself say or do something when you do not really want to. Example: Tom looked tired but still managed a smile.
It is a familiar phrase in the United States. I would use it in situations like, "I was incredibly nervous at the start of the interview, but I still managed a smile as I shook hands with each of the interviewers."
Another phrase for controlling a smile -- in this case to stop yourself from smiling in a moment where it would not be appropriate to smile -- is to "stifle a smile." For example, "He said something that showed he had zero understanding of what had actually happened. I had to stifle a smile while I tried to think of a polite way to explain things to him." (You can also stifle a laugh, stifle a yawn, stifle a cough, stifle the urge to scream, etc.).
Hi Rob! Thank you for your example. However I found it opposite to my understanding of the phrase.
As I take this phrase "to manage a smile" is to be able to be positive or to start to be positive in situation that is tough or not supposed to be happy. What you have here is to control your smile or not showing your attitude in situation when you should not to or don't want to show your real opinion or view. Maybe I am just missing something. Please let me know. Thanks.
