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Renan torres-rivero Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary
Painted themselves into a corner??? What does it mean?
Dear native teachers,
Can you help me to understand the meaning of the expression in bold? There must be a special meaning of this expression.
« We see lots of cases where C*** teams have painted themselves into a corner on change order work. When C*** is acting as construction manager (or prime contractor dealing with a
subcontractor), we may find it hard to make a timely fair settlement on changes; when C*** is the
contractor, we sometimes can’t recover actual costs on change order work.»
Thank you in advance.
RENAN
Can you help me to understand the meaning of the expression in bold? There must be a special meaning of this expression.
« We see lots of cases where C*** teams have painted themselves into a corner on change order work. When C*** is acting as construction manager (or prime contractor dealing with a
subcontractor), we may find it hard to make a timely fair settlement on changes; when C*** is the
contractor, we sometimes can’t recover actual costs on change order work.»
Thank you in advance.
RENAN
Top answer
To "paint oneself into a corner" is to get oneself in a situation that it is messy or difficult to get out of, as it would be if one literally painted oneself into a corner. Jane painted herself into a corner when she accepted both Bob and Bill's invitation to the dance.
- To "paint oneself into a corner" is to get oneself in a situation that it is messy or difficult to get out of, as it would be if one literally painted oneself into a corner.
- Jane painted herself into a corner when she accepted both Bob and Bill's invitation to the dance.
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4 Answers
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To "paint oneself into a corner" is to get oneself in a situation that it is messy or difficult to get out of, as it would be if one literally painted oneself into a corner.
Jane painted herself into a corner when she accepted both Bob and Bill's invitation to the dance.
Jane painted herself into a corner when she accepted both Bob and Bill's invitation to the dance.
00
Really? That's cool. Now the whole paragraph makes sense.
That's what in Spanish we would say "meterse en camisa de once varas" (to wear a shirt that is quite smaller than the ones that fit you).
Thanks a lot!
That's what in Spanish we would say "meterse en camisa de once varas" (to wear a shirt that is quite smaller than the ones that fit you).
Thanks a lot!
00
You are most welcome.
What an interesting idiom in Spanish! With either our English idiom or your Spanish one, the person in question has gotten themselves into quite a bind!
What an interesting idiom in Spanish! With either our English idiom or your Spanish one, the person in question has gotten themselves into quite a bind!
00
Sure!
Now I know how "to paint myself into a corner" without being a DaVinci.
Cheers,
RENAN
Now I know how "to paint myself into a corner" without being a DaVinci.
Cheers,
RENAN
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