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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. brush up against

• Thread starter bunny84
• Start date Apr 30, 2009

B

bunny84

New Member

Seoul, South Korea Korean Hello, forum members. I found this expression in an article which says, [He sat next to her one day and brushed up against her. She said she knew it wasn't an accident. "I moved away from him.", she said, "but he brushed up against me again"] As far as I guess from the context, the meaning of this expression is sexual harassment or something. (Am I right?) When I was trying to find out that exact meaning, however, there wasn't any explaination about that in the dictionary. Brush up (on something) and Brush againt were things that I could only find out. But I think that each meaning is actually quite different from brush up against in this article, isn't it? I'd badly like to know that meaning clearly and in what situation I can use that expression. Last edited: Apr 30, 2009

Nunty

Senior Member

Jerusalem Hebrew-US English (bilingual) It could be sexual harassment or it could be some kind of flirting; there's a fine line between the two. "Brush against" and "brush up against" mean the same thing, as far as I can tell.

JamesM

Senior Member

Los Angeles, California English, USA I think "brush up against" implies intention more than "brush against", but it's a very subtle distinction. Someone who had deduced, or assumed, that the act was intentional would be more likely to use "brushed up against", I think. "As he got into the elevator he brushed against me." To me this sounds less intentional than: "As he got into the elevator he brushed up against me." B

bunny84

New Member

Seoul, South Korea Korean Thank you so much. Now it's understandable

aaronsun666

Senior Member

Northeast China Mandarin The Big Bang Theory Season 08 Episode 06 Amy: Sheldon, I’m really impressed you’re willing to try this. Sheldon: Well, admittedly, this brushes up against my well-known aversions to heat, small places, going below floor-level, dampness, hatches, ladders, darkness, echoes, and eliminating in Home Depot buckets. That last one is quite new, but I have a feeling that’s gonna rocket to the top of the list. What does this mean?

JamesM

Senior Member

Los Angeles, California English, USA It is deliberate understatement. He is trying to do something that triggers many basic fears and phobias of his. It "brushes up against" these fears, meaning "it makes me slightly aware of these fears."

aaronsun666

Senior Member

Northeast China Mandarin Thank you, James. You must log in or register to reply here. Share: WhatsApp Email Share Link

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