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Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / July 2005Noun
The phrasal verb is "rat out" and how do you call who make this action? Thanks > The phrasal verb is "rat out" and how do you call who make this action? the ratter-out, if you have to use such a noun. Owain no, I don't need to use it... it's the only nuon that I know... do you have a more used noun? > The phrasal verb is "rat out" and how do you call who make this action? What does this mean? - I've never come across this phrasal verb before. And I'm an English teacher. I've com across "to rat on someone" - the person who does that is simply called a rat. Regards, Einde O'Callaghan Some synonyms I know: Squeal, Grass on you, Grass you up, Dob you in. The verb rat out means to give away others' secrets, e.g. informing the police about crime plans. This is US criminal slang, but in general use. I have heard it plenty of times in US police series and in US films, especially in films about the Mafia (e.g. a Mafioso rats out his fellow Mafiosi and ends up in the witness protection program, so avoiding prison/execution). Captain America to the rescue... "To rat someone out" is starting to become rather dated. "To squeal on someone" is indeed a synonym, but grassing and dobbing don't sound right to me. Now watch...they'll turn out to be British slang. The person who rats you out or squeals on you is a "rat" or a "squealer." If you "roll over" on someone, it means the same things. I have no idea what you call the person who does it. A much older synonym, which is almost quaint now, is to "fink on someone" and the person is a "fink." Informers are also called "stool pigeons" and "stoolies." The latter term is one of my personal favorites. You will most likely find that in crime slang (also called "cant"), there are quite a few expressions that very few people have heard of. The whole point of cant is to create words and expressions that are not understood by the general public. > Some synonyms I know: Squeal, Grass on you, Grass you up, Dob you in. > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > in > the witness protection program, so avoiding prison/execution). > "To rat someone out" is starting to become rather dated. "To squeal on > someone" is indeed a synonym, but grassing and dobbing don't sound > right to me. > Now watch...they'll turn out to be British slang. Scottish: a clype, to clype on someone. Owain |
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