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MrPernickety Posted 17 years ago
Vocabulary

Usage of "Strike out"

Hi,

I know that "to strike out" means "to fail to do something", thanks to baseball Emotion: smile

Do the following sentences sound o.k. from a native speaker's viewpoint ?

1. We struck out on the project. Now they will substitute someone else for us.

2. You've striken out on your mission. You gotta start all over again.

Thanks !
  

Top answer

strike - struck - (have) struck (No striken . I guess you struck out on that one. ) The only really common usage of strike out that I'm familiar with is the case of a guy who tries but fails to pick up a woman in a bar, at a party, etc.

— CalifJim

  • strike - struck - (have) struck (No striken .
  • I guess you struck out on that one.
  • ) The only really common usage of strike out that I'm familiar with is the case of a guy who tries but fails to pick up a woman in a bar, at a party, etc.
  • She's not interested.
  • She rejects his advances.
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3 Answers
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strike - struck - (have) struck (No striken. I guess you struck out on that one. Good try, though!)

The only really common usage of strike out that I'm familiar with is the case of a guy who tries but fails to pick up a woman in a bar, at a party, etc. She's not interested. She rejects his advances. He strikes out.

Those other usages you gave as examples don't
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Following along the same lines as Jim's example of failing to pick up a woman in a bar, I'd say that if "strike out" is used in a different context, it will often be connected somehow with failing to convince someone to do something -- i.e. someone resists someone else's overtures. For example:

- We tried very hard to lure that customer away from ABC Inc. Unfortunately, we struck out.
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Hi, Amy and Jim

Thanks for chiming in, I gotcha !
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