Jan 27, 2007 17:03
17 yrs ago
English term
make friends up close
English
Marketing
Tourism & Travel
Review of a hotel
"small lifts for size of hotel but hey make friends up close."
Group of English girls on holiday in New York. Any idea what they are talking about?
The small lift makes you feel closer to your friends??
Group of English girls on holiday in New York. Any idea what they are talking about?
The small lift makes you feel closer to your friends??
Responses
+11
4 mins
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
72
Selected
get to know people with whom you are forced into close contact
Because the lifts are so small (too small and too few for the size of the hotel) they are usually so full that you are pressed up closely against other people using them so you might get talking to people in these circumstances and make new friends.
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Note added at 16 mins (2007-01-27 17:20:44 GMT)
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Yes, I agree that this is an ironic criticism of the hotel and is not meant to be taken too seriously.
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Note added at 16 mins (2007-01-27 17:20:44 GMT)
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Yes, I agree that this is an ironic criticism of the hotel and is not meant to be taken too seriously.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks to all. Points to Jack because I think he was the first one to give the correct explenation. Anyway, everybody agrees, and I can only please one person...
To all the others a big thank you!!"
+1
5 mins
Paula Vaz-Carreiro
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
Benchmark Translations
Native in: Portuguese 
, English
Works in: Portuguese, English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
8
see explanation below
be very close to people when you make friends with them - that is what it means.
They are making a joke about the size of the lifts - the lifts are so small that, inside them, you are going to be so close to people that you will make friends up close.
HTH
They are making a joke about the size of the lifts - the lifts are so small that, inside them, you are going to be so close to people that you will make friends up close.
HTH
+4
6 mins
William [Bill] Gray
Norway
Norway
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
Norway
Working with words
Native in: English 
Works in: English, Norwegian to English, Danish to English, and 1 more.
there's not much room
I agree partly with Will on this one, but I think that the comment is meant to be a comment on the size of the lifts, not the element of making friends.
It is in fact a criticism of the hotel's lifts, but in such a way as to sound positive: you get closer to people when the lifts are small and maybe a friendship will result.
It is in fact a criticism of the hotel's lifts, but in such a way as to sound positive: you get closer to people when the lifts are small and maybe a friendship will result.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Vicky Papaprodromou
2 mins
|
|
Thanks, Vicky!
|
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| agree |
Can Altinbay
: Yes, there's an element of sarcasm I detect...
57 mins
|
|
Thanks, Can!
|
|
| agree |
Rachel Fell
: or making a positive out of a negative, but reading the other comments - not very British, is it?!!
5 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Rachel!
|
|
| agree |
Sophia Finos (X)
1 day 3 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Sophia!
|
+2
2 mins
Will Matter
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United States
proofreading/editing/research/security
Native in: English
Works in: English, Japanese to English, zzz Other zzz to English, and 3 more.
proximity
They are implying that proximity makes it easier to be friends. When forced to be physically closer people have a tendency to "bond". HTH.
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Note added at 5 mins (2007-01-27 17:09:10 GMT)
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Small elevators (and the use thereof) will naturally cause the people who use the elevators to "relate" to each other. Since everyone is right there (packed together) it's natural to say "Hi, how are you?". You understood it correctly. HTH.
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Note added at 9 mins (2007-01-27 17:13:32 GMT)
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No, it's not a standard phrase, it's just how your group said it. The meaning is implied but understood. Like Jack said, when people are pressed up against each other it's natural to become friendlier.
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Note added at 5 mins (2007-01-27 17:09:10 GMT)
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Small elevators (and the use thereof) will naturally cause the people who use the elevators to "relate" to each other. Since everyone is right there (packed together) it's natural to say "Hi, how are you?". You understood it correctly. HTH.
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Note added at 9 mins (2007-01-27 17:13:32 GMT)
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No, it's not a standard phrase, it's just how your group said it. The meaning is implied but understood. Like Jack said, when people are pressed up against each other it's natural to become friendlier.
Note from asker:
| Hi there, is it a saying or some sort of well known phrase? (or am I being dense) |
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