To start guiltily
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I have been reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and came across this sentence which sounded odd to me.
Sometimes he would get seized with oddly distracted moods and stare into the sky as if hypnotized until someone asked him what he was doing. Then he would start guiltily for a moment, relax and grin.
This is in reference to a character who is hiding his being an alien while on Earth and it's trying to pass for a normal human.
I had never encountered the phrase but can sort of see that it could mean he is surprised and for a moment acts as though he was exposed and but then again, I'm not quite sure.
Searching for other occurrences of the phrase results in several examples in Google Books that could also be interpreted this way but I might just be confirming my own biases.
The fact that there's multiple usages of the phrase (see here or here) makes me think this is somewhat common but yet I can't find a definition or usage example on a dictionary anywhere.
Have you ever heard this phrase? What do you think it means?
meaning phrases expressions
asked Nov 27 at 5:57
Juan Camilo Torres
365
|
show 3 more comments
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0
down vote
favorite
I have been reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and came across this sentence which sounded odd to me.
Sometimes he would get seized with oddly distracted moods and stare into the sky as if hypnotized until someone asked him what he was doing. Then he would start guiltily for a moment, relax and grin.
This is in reference to a character who is hiding his being an alien while on Earth and it's trying to pass for a normal human.
I had never encountered the phrase but can sort of see that it could mean he is surprised and for a moment acts as though he was exposed and but then again, I'm not quite sure.
Searching for other occurrences of the phrase results in several examples in Google Books that could also be interpreted this way but I might just be confirming my own biases.
The fact that there's multiple usages of the phrase (see here or here) makes me think this is somewhat common but yet I can't find a definition or usage example on a dictionary anywhere.
Have you ever heard this phrase? What do you think it means?
meaning phrases expressions
asked Nov 27 at 5:57
Juan Camilo Torres
365
What do you find "odd" with the phrase? In fact, it's not a set phrase to search for precedents, it's just a pair or words incidentally coming together. Are you clear with meaning of each of the words? Can you explain?
– Kris
Nov 27 at 6:34
I think this usage of 'start' is related to 'startle' (He started = He was startled).
– AmI
Nov 27 at 6:54
@Kris I consider it is a set phrase. To start is to react as though startled, and you do it guiltily when you're conscious of doing something wrong and think you're about to be caught in the act.
– Kate Bunting
Nov 27 at 9:25
1
Start: "to move suddenly and violently," "to react with a sudden brief involuntary movement."
– Jason Bassford
Nov 27 at 14:14
The only thing I find odd about it is “for a moment”. Starting (or jumping, twitching, etc.) is entirely instantaneous, and you can’t really do it for any kind of sensible duration.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 27 at 20:57
|
show 3 more comments
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
I have been reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and came across this sentence which sounded odd to me.
Sometimes he would get seized with oddly distracted moods and stare into the sky as if hypnotized until someone asked him what he was doing. Then he would start guiltily for a moment, relax and grin.
This is in reference to a character who is hiding his being an alien while on Earth and it's trying to pass for a normal human.
I had never encountered the phrase but can sort of see that it could mean he is surprised and for a moment acts as though he was exposed and but then again, I'm not quite sure.
Searching for other occurrences of the phrase results in several examples in Google Books that could also be interpreted this way but I might just be confirming my own biases.
The fact that there's multiple usages of the phrase (see here or here) makes me think this is somewhat common but yet I can't find a definition or usage example on a dictionary anywhere.
Have you ever heard this phrase? What do you think it means?
meaning phrases expressions
asked Nov 27 at 5:57
Juan Camilo Torres
365
I have been reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and came across this sentence which sounded odd to me.
Sometimes he would get seized with oddly distracted moods and stare into the sky as if hypnotized until someone asked him what he was doing. Then he would start guiltily for a moment, relax and grin.
This is in reference to a character who is hiding his being an alien while on Earth and it's trying to pass for a normal human.
I had never encountered the phrase but can sort of see that it could mean he is surprised and for a moment acts as though he was exposed and but then again, I'm not quite sure.
Searching for other occurrences of the phrase results in several examples in Google Books that could also be interpreted this way but I might just be confirming my own biases.
The fact that there's multiple usages of the phrase (see here or here) makes me think this is somewhat common but yet I can't find a definition or usage example on a dictionary anywhere.
Have you ever heard this phrase? What do you think it means?
meaning phrases expressions
meaning phrases expressions
asked Nov 27 at 5:57
Juan Camilo Torres
365
asked Nov 27 at 5:57
Juan Camilo Torres
365
asked Nov 27 at 5:57
Juan Camilo Torres
365
asked Nov 27 at 5:57
Juan Camilo Torres
365
asked Nov 27 at 5:57
Juan Camilo Torres
365
365
What do you find "odd" with the phrase? In fact, it's not a set phrase to search for precedents, it's just a pair or words incidentally coming together. Are you clear with meaning of each of the words? Can you explain?
– Kris
Nov 27 at 6:34
I think this usage of 'start' is related to 'startle' (He started = He was startled).
– AmI
Nov 27 at 6:54
@Kris I consider it is a set phrase. To start is to react as though startled, and you do it guiltily when you're conscious of doing something wrong and think you're about to be caught in the act.
– Kate Bunting
Nov 27 at 9:25
1
Start: "to move suddenly and violently," "to react with a sudden brief involuntary movement."
– Jason Bassford
Nov 27 at 14:14
The only thing I find odd about it is “for a moment”. Starting (or jumping, twitching, etc.) is entirely instantaneous, and you can’t really do it for any kind of sensible duration.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 27 at 20:57
|
show 3 more comments
What do you find "odd" with the phrase? In fact, it's not a set phrase to search for precedents, it's just a pair or words incidentally coming together. Are you clear with meaning of each of the words? Can you explain?
– Kris
Nov 27 at 6:34
I think this usage of 'start' is related to 'startle' (He started = He was startled).
– AmI
Nov 27 at 6:54
@Kris I consider it is a set phrase. To start is to react as though startled, and you do it guiltily when you're conscious of doing something wrong and think you're about to be caught in the act.
– Kate Bunting
Nov 27 at 9:25
1
Start: "to move suddenly and violently," "to react with a sudden brief involuntary movement."
– Jason Bassford
Nov 27 at 14:14
The only thing I find odd about it is “for a moment”. Starting (or jumping, twitching, etc.) is entirely instantaneous, and you can’t really do it for any kind of sensible duration.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 27 at 20:57
What do you find "odd" with the phrase? In fact, it's not a set phrase to search for precedents, it's just a pair or words incidentally coming together. Are you clear with meaning of each of the words? Can you explain?
– Kris
Nov 27 at 6:34
What do you find "odd" with the phrase? In fact, it's not a set phrase to search for precedents, it's just a pair or words incidentally coming together. Are you clear with meaning of each of the words? Can you explain?
– Kris
Nov 27 at 6:34
I think this usage of 'start' is related to 'startle' (He started = He was startled).
– AmI
Nov 27 at 6:54
I think this usage of 'start' is related to 'startle' (He started = He was startled).
– AmI
Nov 27 at 6:54
@Kris I consider it is a set phrase. To start is to react as though startled, and you do it guiltily when you're conscious of doing something wrong and think you're about to be caught in the act.
– Kate Bunting
Nov 27 at 9:25
@Kris I consider it is a set phrase. To start is to react as though startled, and you do it guiltily when you're conscious of doing something wrong and think you're about to be caught in the act.
– Kate Bunting
Nov 27 at 9:25
1
1
Start: "to move suddenly and violently," "to react with a sudden brief involuntary movement."
– Jason Bassford
Nov 27 at 14:14
Start: "to move suddenly and violently," "to react with a sudden brief involuntary movement."
– Jason Bassford
Nov 27 at 14:14
The only thing I find odd about it is “for a moment”. Starting (or jumping, twitching, etc.) is entirely instantaneous, and you can’t really do it for any kind of sensible duration.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 27 at 20:57
The only thing I find odd about it is “for a moment”. Starting (or jumping, twitching, etc.) is entirely instantaneous, and you can’t really do it for any kind of sensible duration.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 27 at 20:57
|
show 3 more comments
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What do you find "odd" with the phrase? In fact, it's not a set phrase to search for precedents, it's just a pair or words incidentally coming together. Are you clear with meaning of each of the words? Can you explain?
– Kris
Nov 27 at 6:34
I think this usage of 'start' is related to 'startle' (He started = He was startled).
– AmI
Nov 27 at 6:54
@Kris I consider it is a set phrase. To start is to react as though startled, and you do it guiltily when you're conscious of doing something wrong and think you're about to be caught in the act.
– Kate Bunting
Nov 27 at 9:25
1
Start: "to move suddenly and violently," "to react with a sudden brief involuntary movement."
– Jason Bassford
Nov 27 at 14:14
The only thing I find odd about it is “for a moment”. Starting (or jumping, twitching, etc.) is entirely instantaneous, and you can’t really do it for any kind of sensible duration.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 27 at 20:57