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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Meaning of ballistic
Aunty Ivy had gone ballistic, threating to banish all three children to their rooms. Is ballistic used well in this sentence?
Top answer
"Going ballistic" is an expression that means that a person has become very angry. Think of a ballistic missile as it takes off from its launch pad. Nothing can stop its thrust as it hurls off into the atmosphere.
- "Going ballistic" is an expression that means that a person has become very angry.
- Think of a ballistic missile as it takes off from its launch pad.
- Nothing can stop its thrust as it hurls off into the atmosphere.
- Aunty Ivy went ballistic and got so angry that she sent all three kids to their rooms.
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3 Answers
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"Going ballistic" is an expression that means that a person has become very angry.
Think of a ballistic missile as it takes off from its launch pad. Nothing can stop its thrust as it hurls off into the atmosphere.
Aunty Ivy went ballistic and got so angry that she sent all three kids to their rooms.
Think of a ballistic missile as it takes off from its launch pad. Nothing can stop its thrust as it hurls off into the atmosphere.
Aunty Ivy went ballistic and got so angry that she sent all three kids to their rooms.
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In current American usage, this would not be the best way to say it. First, the phrase "went ballistic" has had its heyday come and go and is dated slang today. It's just not used anymore.
Second, the phrase was not used like this, that is, in the past perfect. It was almost always used in simple tenses only, usually past, but also sometimes in the present or future. This is a strong
Second, the phrase was not used like this, that is, in the past perfect. It was almost always used in simple tenses only, usually past, but also sometimes in the present or future. This is a strong
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AnonymousToday this might be said as: "Aunt Amy went berserk, threatening to banish all three children to their rooms."Is "berserk" really coming back in popularity? I would have thought that that word had already gone out of fashion in the 50's. To my ear it's much more old-fashioned than "ballistic".
CJ
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