In the first place
I've searched many threads but still can't understand the meaning and use of "in the first place"
In the TV show "How I Met Your Mother" Ted and his friend Marshall having an argument over who gets the apartment and they decide to flip a coin to settle it.
Ted: But before I flip the coin, I just want to say something. You didn't even want to move in here in the first place. You said a pre war building was bad for your allergies.
Top answer
"In the first place" is used to discredit someone's present position by referring to an earlier statement they made. So that person did not go along with the earlier decision, but they now want to get back into the decision making. Why do you care if I want a boxer rather than a poodle?
- "In the first place" is used to discredit someone's present position by referring to an earlier statement they made.
- So that person did not go along with the earlier decision, but they now want to get back into the decision making.
- Why do you care if I want a boxer rather than a poodle?
- You didn't want a dog in the first place.
- In the example you give, Ted is asking why Marshall is now fighting him for the apartment, which Marshall didn't want at all earlier ("in the first place").
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
"In the first place" is used to discredit someone's present position by referring to an earlier statement they made. So that person did not go along with the earlier decision, but they now want to get back into the decision making.
Why do you care if I want a boxer rather than a poodle? You didn't want a dog in the first place.
In the example you give, Ted is asking why Marshall
0
Related Questions