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What does "putting him smack" mean? Making him a focus?

 
 
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2012 09:44 am

Context:

President Obama on Friday essentially adopted Rubio's policy compromise to allow young people brought illegally to the United States as children to gain legal status, putting him smack in the center of one of the year's most contentious issues.

MOre:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-06-12/florida-marco-rubio-interview/55654626/1
 
View best answer, chosen by oristarA
izzythepush
 
  3  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2012 09:52 am
@oristarA,
You've highlighted the wrong part of the phrase. It should be 'smack in the centre,' or 'smack in the middle.' It means at the very heart of something.

In the debate on immigration Obama has decided to take sides, as opposed to doing nothing about it until after the election.
0 Replies
 
InfraBlue
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2012 10:26 am
@oristarA,
"Smack" is an adjective that means "directly." In your sentence it's modifying the substantive, "in the center."
Joe Nation
 
  4  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2012 11:52 am
@InfraBlue,
Smack is a great word.
You can smack (hit)someone with your hand or something else.
You can smack your lips when you see something tasty you'd like to eat. (Make a noise by pressing and releasing your lips quickly)
You can give your sweetheart a little smack (kiss) on the lips. (Very casual kiss)
and
You can run smack (directly) into the edge of a table.

You can also smack yourself on the forehead, if you forget what smack means.

Joe(Ow!)Nation
Ceili
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2012 12:48 pm
izzythepush
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2012 12:56 pm
@Ceili,
0 Replies
 
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2012 05:37 pm
Thank you all.
0 Replies
 
JTT
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2012 08:50 pm
@Joe Nation,
smack also means heroin but I believe that's a bit of a dated use.

You can add 'dab' to 'smack in the middle/center' to give extra emphasis.

smack dab in the middle/center
izzythepush
 
  1  
Reply Tue 19 Jun, 2012 01:31 am
@JTT,
Or bang.
0 Replies
 
sunmirosenberg
  Selected Answer
 
  1  
Reply Sat 11 Nov, 2017 09:27 pm
@Joe Nation,
In this sense, the word smack means exactly: Placing him exactly ...............
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Tue 14 Nov, 2017 02:41 am
@sunmirosenberg,
Thank you.
I think you are correct.
0 Replies
 
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Fri 17 Nov, 2017 08:32 pm
@sunmirosenberg,
sunmirosenberg wrote:

In this sense, the word smack means exactly: Placing him exactly ...............


Or placing him directly...
0 Replies
 
 

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