This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
point of a short dialogue
benzo[rst]pentaphene
Nov 28, 2015 09:01
8 yrs ago
English term

this guy

English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Hello everyone.

A dialogue between a dad and his son at a stadium.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8MJXrt0kvQ

beginning at 18:56

- Come and see poppy, man. What's up? Huh? What you been doing? Huh?
- Pop, pop, who broke your leg?
- Huh?
- Who broke your leg?
- **This guy**.
- Who?
- Well, I hurt it myself, though, really. So we don't want to get--want your leg to get broke, okay?

Does "this guy" mean "me/myself, i.e. he, answering his son's question, says "this guy" meaning I did it (hurt my leg) myself?

Thank you.
Responses
4 +7 the speaker
5 this guy
4 some other guy

Discussion

B D Finch Nov 28, 2015:
Agree with previous comments The stress on "guy" makes the difference. Had the stress been on "this", he would have meant himself.
Mikhail Korolev (asker) Nov 28, 2015:
Amel, please post your suggestion as an answer.
Mikhail Korolev (asker) Nov 28, 2015:
Neil, Charles, thank you.
Charles Davis Nov 28, 2015:
So "This guy" means "a certain guy", meaning that he knows which guy, but he doesn't know, or is not saying, who he was.
Charles Davis Nov 28, 2015:
Intonation and stress: this guy I agree with Amel. When he says "this guy", he means someone else. It is the following use of "this":

"this
9. spoken used in a story or a joke when you mention a person or thing without giving a name
There was this big guy standing in the doorway."
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/this#...

Note that he stresses "guy": that is how you can tell he doesn't mean "me", "myself"; if he had meant that, he would have stressed "this". He's not saying "this guy", meaning this one as opposed to another one (i.e., this one here, myself); he's saying "this guy", another guy whose name he doesn't give.
Neil Ashby Nov 28, 2015:
Amel's interpretation is correct. The father was probably embarrassed because he fell (I imagine) and broke his own leg so he tried to blame it on "this guy", but then he immediately admitted it was a white lie.
Mikhail Korolev (asker) Nov 28, 2015:
Thank you, Amel.
Arabic & More Nov 28, 2015:
Sorry, klp. I responded too quickly without thinking carefully enough (you may have seen my answer). After listening again, I think the speaker said "this guy" as though it was someone else who broke his leg, but then he admits that "this guy" is actually himself.

Responses

+7
1 hr
Selected

the speaker

The speaker said "this guy" as though it was someone else who broke his leg, but then he admits that "this guy" is actually himself.
Peer comment(s):
agree Charles Davis : So "this guy" means "some guy", "a certain guy".
10 mins
Thank you, Charles.
agree Yvonne Gallagher
11 mins
Thank you, Gallagy.
agree Victoria Britten
3 hrs
Thank you, Victoria.
agree AllegroTrans
5 hrs
Thank you, AllegroTrans.
agree Sheri P
7 hrs
Thank you, Sheri.
agree acetran
20 hrs
Thank you, acetran.
agree jccantrell : What does not come across in the text is the gesture where the speaker is pointing at himself, usually with his thumbs.
1 day 8 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks to everyone. Thank you, Amel."
2 hrs

some other guy

This Guy Has My MacBook
thisguyhasmymacbook.tumblr.com/
Traducir esta página
On March 21, 2011, my MacBook was stolen from my apartment in Oakland, CA. I reported the crime to the police and even told them where it was, but they ...
this guy has my htc
thisguyhasmyhtc.tumblr.com/
Traducir esta página
According to this article (http://t.co/DIwWD9UTY3) they say they can't acuse them of theft because my smartphone was stolen in Spain and not Romania.
Drake Straight Up Stole This Guy's Instagram Art | DJBooth
www.djbooth.net/.../2015-11-24-drake-instagram-ar...
Traducir esta página
hace 4 días - Drake Straight Up Stole This Guy's Instagram Art. Facebook. Twitter. Email. Share. It's no secret that Drake has a way of riding other's waves. :)) eski
Peer comment(s):
neutral AllegroTrans : this possibility is contradicted by him saying "well I hurt it myself" surely?
1 day 8 hrs
Hi Allegro: in this case it's entirely possible. Thanks for your copmment. :))
Something went wrong...
12 hrs

this guy

Later on in the film, after the quoted exchange, it is clear that the father, a former football star, does not want his son to follow into his career. He hides the responsibility for not wanting his son playing football now by saying in an off-hand way "this guy..." and then he reverses himself and tells the truth. I don't know the story of this player. The You Tube movie is a documentary about his life.

"this guy" or "guy" is often used to omit someone's name, or to hide that, in reality, there is no particular person. Or the person is not known by the speaker.
Examples:
I talked to this guy about loaning you the money but he said no.
This guy walked into the bar and saw....
Hey, guy, you better watch out! You are too close to the edge.

Peer comment(s):
neutral AllegroTrans : this possibility is contradicted by him saying "well I hurt it myself" surely?
21 hrs
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search