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Debpriya De Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Over with

I have been having problems understanding the expression "over with" as in "Let's get this job over with". Why couldn't we have written this sentence without the "with" at the end ?
"Let's get the job over" conveys the same meaning.
  

Top answer

This is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put (attributed to Churchill). There is nothing inherently wrong with the grammar when a sentence ends in a preposition. In this example, it seems 'over with' is a synonym for phrases like 'done and dusted', 'out of the way', and to me a slightly rhetorical form of 'finished' or 'completed'.

— Anonymous

  • This is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put (attributed to Churchill).
  • There is nothing inherently wrong with the grammar when a sentence ends in a preposition.
  • In this example, it seems 'over with' is a synonym for phrases like 'done and dusted', 'out of the way', and to me a slightly rhetorical form of 'finished' or 'completed'.
  • If 'let's get this job over' seems alright to you, go ahead and say it.
  • Indeed, one of the reasons changes in grammar come about is a result of people using their language in novel or progressive ways.
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2 Answers
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This is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put (attributed to Churchill).

There is nothing inherently wrong with the grammar when a sentence ends in a preposition. In this example, it seems 'over with' is a synonym for phrases like 'done and dusted', 'out of the way', and to me a slightly rhetorical form of 'finished' or 'completed'. If 'let's get this job over' seems a
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Debpriya De"Let's get the job over" conveys the same meaning.
No. This sounds incomplete. "over with" is the whole expression. It means "finished", "done".

"over with" is usually used when you are talking about something unpleasant that you want to end as soon as possible.

CJ
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