0
Bigapple Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary
What does "for the life of me" mean?
Hi all,
recently I have come across this sentence
"I just bumped into him on the street and couldn't remember his name for the life of me."
but I still can't figure out what "for the life of me" means.
does it mean I had to remeber his name to save my life?
Your help would be much much appreciated
Thank you!!
recently I have come across this sentence
"I just bumped into him on the street and couldn't remember his name for the life of me."
but I still can't figure out what "for the life of me" means.
does it mean I had to remeber his name to save my life?
Your help would be much much appreciated
Thank you!!
Top answer
It means that you couldn't remember his name although you were trying very hard. LS
- It means that you couldn't remember his name although you were trying very hard.
- LS
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
8 Answers
0
It means that you couldn't remember his name although you were trying very hard.
LS
LS
00
Hello!
It is an idiom, isn't it? ..how can it be used?
Would ‘I tried for the life of me and finally managed what
It is an idiom, isn't it? ..how can it be used?
Would ‘I tried for the life of me and finally managed what
00
It is indeed – usually, you only use it with the phrase "I couldn't/can't do X", e.g. "I couldn't for the life of me see what the p
– usually, you only use it with the phrase "I couldn't/can't do X", e.g. "I couldn't for the life of me see what the p00
Thank you so much MrP!
So, that idiom, somehow introduces a subordinate sentence, right? (Subordinate sentence? Is it s
So, that idiom, somehow introduces a subordinate sentence, right? (Subordinate sentence? Is it s
00
Well, on reflection, you could also use it as a fragment, e.g.
1. "So can you guess what this does?" "Not for the life of me, no."
And it doesn't need to introduce a clause, e.g.
2. I can't for the life of me remember his name.
Really, the structure is just:
3. I can't/couldn't (for the life of me) do X.
(So it acts as an adverbial intensifier,
1. "So can you guess what this does?" "Not for the life of me, no."
And it doesn't need to introduce a clause, e.g.
2. I can't for the life of me remember his name.
Really, the structure is just:
3. I can't/couldn't (for the life of me) do X.
(So it acts as an adverbial intensifier,
00
0
MrPedanticWell, on reflection, you could also use it as a fragment, e.g.
1. "So can you guess what this does?" "Not for the life of me, no."
And it doesn't need to introduce a clause, e.g.
2. I can't for the life of me remember his name.
Really, the structure is just:
3. I can't/couldn't (for the life of me) do X.
(So
00
Related Questions