Friday, February 4, 2011

Act On and Get Off On The Wrong Foot.

Today's verbal phrase is Act On, which means
To take action because of information received
To carry further or advance;
To regulate one's behavior in accordance with certain information, ideas, or advice
.
The police were acting on a tip from an informer and caught the gang red-handed.
Can you act on this matter soon?
The  American Founding Fathers acted on certain moral principles

This is an inseparable verb, meaning that the object cannot be inserted in between the verb and preposition.  I will clarify this matter of whether the verbal phrase is separable or inseparable and transitive or intransitive in future posts. I've been forgetting to do this.  I will begin correcting this matter for all previous posts that have lacked this important information also. 

Today's idiom is "To Get Off On The Wrong Foot", which means
To make a bad start to a project or relationship.
To start an activity badly or in a way that is likely to fail  

If I get off on the wrong foot with one of my paintings, I know it will never be right.
Holly's new secretary really got off on the wrong foot by being rude to visitors
I don't really know why, but somehow Clare and I got off on the wrong foot. 

Of course, there is an obvious opposite to this expression: you can also "get off on the right foot" at the beginning of a relationship or activity

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