Chance to display your English expertise.

Route1

Basically I'm writing an essay and I can't remember a certain word. Tip of the tongue if you will, extremely frustrating. The definition is very vague and hard to articulate, thats why I'm struggling to find it. The word basically describes something which is not real in a physical form but is implied as such for example. They were beaten in the

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tunnel. Its similar to a metaphor.

kjl

proverbial?

Black cat banger

Route1 wrote: »

Basically I'm writing an essay and I can't remember a certain word. Tip of the tongue if you will, extremely frustrating. The definition is very vague and hard to articulate, thats why I'm struggling to find it. The word basically describes something which is not real in a physical form but is implied as such for example. They were beaten in the

---

tunnel. Its similar to a metaphor.

"Virtual" ?

Spook_ie

Route1 wrote: »

Basically I'm writing an essay and I can't remember a certain word. Tip of the tongue if you will, extremely frustrating. The definition is very vague and hard to articulate, thats why I'm struggling to find it. The word basically describes something which is not real in a physical form but is implied as such for example. They were beaten in the

---

tunnel. Its similar to a metaphor.

Qualia?

Route1

kjl wrote: »

proverbial?

thats the one cheers mate. My explanation was a little vague sorry.

Blackhorse Slim

Figuratively?

Blackhorse Slim

Too late!

kjl

Blackhorse Slim wrote: »

Too late!

in the ops context it would be figurative or figural

tmc86

shortest AH thread ever!

Miprocin

Given answer is wrong. What proverb do you refer to?

ceadaoin.

Hmm..that's not what proverbial means

Proverbially metaphysical.

DrumSteve

tmc86 wrote: »

shortest AH thread ever!

Tempted to start a thread about dwarves.

thegreatiam

Miprocin wrote: »

Given answer is wrong. What proverb do you refer to?

This is right, proverbial doesn't mean not real in a physical form it means from a proverb.

Making a reference to the proverb without repeating the proverb. Or using proverbial to omit a word from the proverb and giving the same effect.

Agueroooo

They were beaten in the

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tunnel.

'anal'

thegreatiam

thegreatiam wrote: »

This is right, proverbial doesn't mean not real in a physical form it means from a proverb.

Making a reference to the proverb without repeating the proverb. Or using proverbial to omit a word from the proverb and giving the same effect.

Close but no, proverbial, cigar. It refers to idioms as well.

thegreatiam

Deleted User wrote: »

Close but no, proverbial, cigar. It refers to idioms as well.

You're taking the proverbial Biscuit there.

ardle1

Insert Yes or No in this space

____ I don't understand English!

Agueroooo

They were beaten in the

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tunnel

'Jack Lynch'

Capt'n Midnight

Route1 wrote: »

Basically I'm writing an essay and I can't remember a certain word. Tip of the tongue if you will,

Apex. It's the word for the tip of the tongue.

you can thank me later

Sir Osis of Liver.

Is this it?

Mr. Nice

Route1 wrote: »

They were beaten in the

---

tunnel. Its similar to a metaphor.

Railway

Sexual?

Muise...

innuendo tunnel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPt-4Nwght0

131spanner

Metaphorical?

Fire that word into an essay and you can take it in whatever direction you want :pac:

wretcheddomain

Route1 wrote: »

Basically I'm writing an essay and I can't remember a certain word. Tip of the tongue if you will, extremely frustrating. The definition is very vague and hard to articulate, thats why I'm struggling to find it. The word basically describes something which is not real in a physical form but is implied as such for example. They were beaten in the

---

tunnel. Its similar to a metaphor.

I'd recommend you read George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language", if you did, you wouldn't even be asking for words like that to place in essays.

catallus

"They were beaten in the proverbial tunnel" ????

That's some line OP.

Muise...

wretcheddomain wrote: »

I'd recommend you read George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language", if you did, you wouldn't even be asking for words like that to place in essays.

that's non-fiction, right?

Karl Stein

Like 'the ghost in the machine'?

wendell borton

Goat

anncoates

"I can't write my own essay"?

Birneybau

Channel

I am pie

Never try and use words you don't understand, just change the sentence.

Otherwise you'll end up with phrases like "beaten in the proverbial tunnel" which is all sorts of wrong.

Marmalade

Mr. Nice

Fudge

The Backwards Man

Ethereal is a good word for what I think you are describing, although not in the case of getting a beating in an ethereal tunnel.

catallus

I've been sitting here now for over an hour and a half and I'm stumped by this.....I really have to start doing something with my life

The only conceivable context I can imagine such a line in is if one is trying to say a football team was "beaten in the tunnel", i.e they were beaten before they even came out.

Is this possible?

Route1

catallus wrote: »

I've been sitting here now for over an hour and a half and I'm stumped by this.....I really have to start doing something with my life

The only conceivable context I can imagine such a line in is if one is trying to say a football team was "beaten in the tunnel", i.e they were beaten before they even came out.

Is this possible?

yes, that was the context.

ceadaoin.

Route1 wrote: »

yes, that was the context.

An idiom maybe

Black cat banger

catallus wrote: »

I've been sitting here now for over an hour and a half and I'm stumped by this.....I really have to start doing something with my life

The only conceivable context I can imagine such a line in is if one is trying to say a football team was "beaten in the tunnel", i.e they were beaten before they even came out.

Is this possible?

Yes it is ...happens to the Kilkenny Football team all de time.

JohnFalstaff

Beaten in the Proverbial Tunnel is actually the title of the second album by prog folk rock outfit Fat Matress:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_Mattress

They premiered it at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1969 and one track off it, Magic Forest, became a huge smash in the Netherlands.

stefan idiot jones

I will now display my English/Welsh expertise.

I'll be there now, in a minute.

Who's coat 's that jacket ?

thegreatiam

stefan idiot jones wrote: »

I will now display my English/Welsh expertise.

I'll be there now, in a minute.

Who's coat 's that jacket ?

See those 2 houses on the hill? I live in the middle one.

I came out out the shop, and there was my bike, gone!

Are you reading that newspaper your sitting on?

Tidy. You know's it.

minotour

catallus wrote: »

I've been sitting here now for over an hour and a half and I'm stumped by this.....I really have to start doing something with my life

The only conceivable context I can imagine such a line in is if one is trying to say a football team was "beaten in the tunnel", i.e they were beaten before they even came out.

Is this possible?

ok, with some context we can now help you better. Fookin "proverbial", word has lost all meaning to me now!

anyway, look up some Sun Tzu quotes, he has loads of nuggets that float around that context. Only the victorious go to war etc. etc, it will also help clear out that writers block.

You could also find a similar instance in history and use as a nice metaphor to back up your statement. Think wars, negotiations, strikes, anything with a competitive focus.

stefan idiot jones

thegreatiam wrote: »

See those 2 houses on the hill? I live in the middle one.

I came out out the shop, and there was my bike, gone!

Are you reading that newspaper your sitting on?

Tidy. You know's it.

I'm all homesick now I am see ?