0
Jingtian Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary

Be there or be square

0 I know that "Be there or Be Square" is the title of a movie. It is said that here "square" means "conservative", "not cool". Is that right? I haven't seen the movie. Is "be there or be square" an idiom? What does it mean? 0-
  

Top answer

0Yes, 01i 00square = not cool02i 00. 02br 02br 01i 00Be there or be square02i 00 = you should attend the event because it is very trendy. 0-

  • 0Yes, 01i 00square = not cool02i 00.
  • 02br 02br 01i 00Be there or be square02i 00 = you should attend the event because it is very trendy.
  • 0-
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

9 Answers
0
0Yes, 01i00square = not cool02i00. The idea of square as being conservative, etc emerged early in the last century, but the set phrase did not gain currency until the 1960s, I think.02br
02br
01i00Be there or be square02i00 = you should attend the event because it is very trendy. We often use the idiom simply when we want a friend to
0
0Thanks. 02br
02br
00I have another question. If you ask your friend out and you will meet him/her at the time when you always meet and at the place where you always meet. What would you say? Meet at the usual time and the usual place or something?0-
0
0Yes. "01i00Usual time and place?02i00"; "01i00The regular place?02i00"; etc.0-
0
0Thanks.02br
02br
00Then I would chance making up a sentence using the two phrases.02br
02br
00I'd like to invite you to coffee at the usual time and place. Be there or be square.0-
0
0That will work, Jingtian. You should remember that register is important too. 01i00I'd like to invite you02i00 is quite formal, while 01i00Be there or be square02i00 is very casual, and must be said with a smile.02br
02br
00Since the place and time are '01i00usual02i00', you must be speaking to a familiar
0
0Yes, thanks. I forgot about the register. And thank you for your example sentence.0-
0
0Speaking of the register, I have another question here.02br
02br
00Is there a more informal way of saying "how long have you been acquainted"?0-
0
0Probably the most common alternative: 01i00 How long have you known each other?02i0-
0
0 Thank you for your kind help. 0-

Related Questions