KudoZ question not available

English translation: right idea

08:11 Nov 29, 2007

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

English term or phrase: Phrase

"What happens when a bright, ambitious young man tries to fit in a big company ? The author asks. He won't find kindred spirits. Trainees hope to rise high and hope just as much not to suffer the personal load of doing so. Frequently they talk of finding a sort of plateau-a position well enough up to be interesting but not so far up as to have one's neck outstretched for others to chop at"

1. What does it mean by "He won't find kindred spirits ?
Does it mean that the author won't find young men
who have similar spirits ?
2. What does "chop at" mean ? Break ?

jomo KudoZ activity Questions: 94 (2 open) (1 without valid answers) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 0 South Korea
Local time: 10:12

Selected answer:right idea

Explanation:
1. Yes - he won't find other colleagues with the same ideas he has
2. chop means to cut off his head - or in this case prevent him from moving ahead in his career.

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Note added at 6 mins (2007-11-29 08:17:42 GMT)
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2 - continued: or a job that is interesting but that poses no professional risk.

Selected response from:

Marie Scarano
Italy
Local time: 03:12

Grading comment

Thank you very much !
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

5 +8

right idea

Marie Scarano

4 +5

He won't find people with whom he can easily relate

Patricia Townshend (X)

3 +1

twin souls

Kirill Semenov

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +8

phrase

right idea

Marie Scarano
Italy
Local time: 03:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thank you very much !

7 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

phrase He won't find people with whom he can easily relate

Explanation:
A kindred spirit is someone who thinks the same way as you do, someone who shares the same outlook and with whom one can have a close relationship. The other people in the business want safe positions where the killer instinct of ambition won't make others want to destroy them - or "chop" at them.

Patricia Townshend (X)
South Africa
Local time: 03:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

7 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

phrase twin souls

Explanation:
To find kindred spirits means to find kindred souls - people who understand the person, share his interests, socialize with him.

`To chop at' means `cutting off with an axe'

Here it means that if the person who is new in the company behaves too active or tries to show off or to stand out otherwise (`stretches his neck too far'), he risks to receive a repulse from others, thus ruining his potential communication with his colleagues (`chop at his neck').

Kirill Semenov
Ukraine
Local time: 04:12
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Russian
PRO pts in category: 28

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