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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Very bad behaviour - "playing truant"?

I understand the meaning of "truant". Why is the word "playing" used?
  

Top answer

Anonymous I understand the meaning of "truant". Why is the word "playing" used? My guess is that the writer is combining two phrases.

— Philip

  • Anonymous I understand the meaning of "truant".
  • Why is the word "playing" used?
  • My guess is that the writer is combining two phrases.
  • Play hookey is the same as be truant .
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5 Answers
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AnonymousI understand the meaning of "truant". Why is the word "playing" used?
My guess is that the writer is combining two phrases. Play hookey is the same as be truant.
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In BrE we use only 'play truant', not 'be truant'. We also use 'truant' as a verb.

Why we play truant I don't know.
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AnonymousWhy is the word "playing" used?
Why not? 'To play' is 'to act the role of'. It's just another of the thousands of combinations of words in English that native speakers have come to accept as part of the language.

You'll drive yourself crazy if you expect to see some kind of logic in every phrase in English. Why is the word "
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I played/was truant from school yesterday.

Is it correct?
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'Played truant' is correct in BrE; 'was truant' is not.
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