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Mon 18 Aug, 2014 09:12 am
Does the expression above refer to romantic relationship only?
I was having a chat in English with a friend of mine,
and he mentioned he was learning how to play guitar from a guy in his 60s.
Much interested in that myself, I just said in English,
"Hey, I also want to learn that. Fix me up with him so that I can see him later."
Thinking probably the idiom I used might be somewhat weird in that situation,
I looked up the dictionary to realize that the expression has something to do with expecting a blind date or something like that.
I, male, surely didn't mean I was looking forward to a romantic relationship with an old man. I just want my friend to let me see him to talk over playing guitar.
There is little chance my choice - 'fix me up with him' - is likely to sound natural, isn't there?
Would you please help me get a better understanding?
Thanks for reading.
Although it would be understood you didn't have a romantic interest in the instructor, I think a native English speaker would have said "set me up with him"
That though, would have indicated you wanted your friend to actually make an appointment with the instructor for a lesson for you.
If I were in your situation, I would have said "Can you give me his contact information?" That indicates you yourself will do the work of setting up a lesson. However, when you contacted the instructor, you would be free to say "My friend John gave me your contact information" That way, if John gets a referral discount, or any other benefit, you've told the teacher upfront.
@SMickey,
My younger friends would probably have said something like "hook me up with his deets" - which means they want their friend to provide the contact information for the other person.
Go with chai's response for a more mature option.
@ehBeth,
I used to say "hook me up"....Then I realized (here at least) that had the connotation of meeting up with someone for sex.
I would get some weird looks from younger people, and I got a clue.
@chai2,
I hooked up with her has a different meaning than hook me up with her deets (at least here).
You definitely have to be careful to have the whole thing in context.
@chai2,
chai2 wrote:
I used to say "hook me up"....Then I realized (here at least) that had the connotation of meeting up with someone for sex.
I would get some weird looks from younger people, and I got a clue.
"Hook me up" just means "connect me with" - the purpose of the hooking up need not be sexual. If I asked an intermediary to hook me up with Joe Bloggs who has a used Honda for sale, or Jane Smith because she is head of finance at a company I deal with, etc, nobody will suppose that I am planning on seducing them. Except maybe teenage boys with a hormone excess.
@chai2,
Okay. The phrase 'give someone the contact information' could be better recommended, ruling out any possibility of confusion. Thanks.
@contrex,
contrex wrote:
chai2 wrote:
I used to say "hook me up"....Then I realized (here at least) that had the connotation of meeting up with someone for sex.
I would get some weird looks from younger people, and I got a clue.
"Hook me up" just means "connect me with" - the purpose of the hooking up need not be sexual. If I asked an intermediary to hook me up with Joe Bloggs who has a used Honda for sale, or Jane Smith because she is head of finance at a company I deal with, etc, nobody will suppose that I am planning on seducing them. Except maybe teenage boys with a hormone excess.
We're not in the same country contrex. Remember, I come from a place where a little kid can say fanny and doesn't get his mouth washed out with soap.
@chai2,
And your ass is our donkey.
Fix me up would be the appropriate locution to indicate arranging a meeting or a date with someone. Hook up definitely means arrange a sexual liaison. That's in the United States, the largest concentration of English speakers on the planet--almost 300 million out of a world-wide population somewhat more than 360 million. The U.S. rules, Britannia drools.
@Lordyaswas,
Chai is a married person of the lady persuasion--it was really crass to talk about her . . . well, you know . . . .
@Setanta,
We're too busy learning Russian, just in case.
@ehBeth,
Pendramwnwgl chwyrligwgan popty ping.
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