Dec 17, 2003 07:34
20 yrs ago
14 viewers *
English term
she had a moment
Non-PRO
English
Art/Literary
Michael Parkinson: You have not been out with Meg Ryan have you?
Rod Stewart: Jesus what a way to start off a programme.
Michael Parkinson: No, I just wondered, no…
Rod Stewart: Well if I had I wouldn't tell you.
Michael Parkinson: No but… I just want to know if you did what you talked about?
Rod Stewart: She, she had… she had a moment did she?
Earlier on the show Parky said "We all have to have one failure. Mine was Meg Ryan." (He met her a week ago and it wasn't his best interview as Meg Ryan wasn't too talkative.)
Rod Stewart: Jesus what a way to start off a programme.
Michael Parkinson: No, I just wondered, no…
Rod Stewart: Well if I had I wouldn't tell you.
Michael Parkinson: No but… I just want to know if you did what you talked about?
Rod Stewart: She, she had… she had a moment did she?
Earlier on the show Parky said "We all have to have one failure. Mine was Meg Ryan." (He met her a week ago and it wasn't his best interview as Meg Ryan wasn't too talkative.)
Responses
3 +9 | she was in a bad mood | IanW (X) |
4 +4 | "funny five minutes" | jerrie |
4 +3 | intense emotional experience | Gordon Darroch (X) |
3 +2 | agreeing with gordon | mbc |
4 | she was kind of OK...but not really | Susana Galilea |
3 +1 | You're implying she (actually) had a moment (to spare to talk to me)? | chica nueva |
4 -1 | Not quite, but I think close to it. | Yuri Smirnov |
Responses
+9
27 mins
Selected
she was in a bad mood
This is my no means clear, but I think it means that she was in a bad mood, which would explain why she wasn't "too talkative".
I remember reading about Elton John and what his band and entourage called his "Little Moments", i.e. when he threw a tantrum. I'll see if I can find more concrete evidence to back this up.
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Note added at 45 mins (2003-12-17 08:20:00 GMT)
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I couldn\'t find any further evidence without looking through the zillions of hits for \"had/have a moment\", but I think the native speaker comments below are evidence enough.
I remember reading about Elton John and what his band and entourage called his "Little Moments", i.e. when he threw a tantrum. I'll see if I can find more concrete evidence to back this up.
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Note added at 45 mins (2003-12-17 08:20:00 GMT)
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I couldn\'t find any further evidence without looking through the zillions of hits for \"had/have a moment\", but I think the native speaker comments below are evidence enough.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you very much!"
10 mins
she was kind of OK...but not really
"to have a moment" is an expression that means something has some amount of interest, but not exactly anything to get too excited about...it is usually a polite way to try to defend someone/something without being terribly convinced
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Note added at 14 mins (2003-12-17 07:48:21 GMT)
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A Working Holiday in the US has its Moments
Wednesday 16th January 2002. A Working Holiday in the US has its Moments.
Summer camp in the United States is a \'rite of passage\' for ...
www.newcastle.edu.au/news/media-releases/ 2002/LYONSus2002.html - 10k - Cached - Similar pages
nbc4columbus.com - Entertainment - \'Daddy Day Care\' Has Its ...
\'Daddy Day Care\' Has Its Moments. ... It may not even be the funniest one you see
this month, but it has its moments, most of them slapstick moments. ...
www.nbc4columbus.com/entertainment/2187948/detail.html - 58k - Cached - Similar pages
HoustonChronicle.com - \'Agent Cody Banks\' has its (few) moments
... minded operation. This movie has its moments, though it still stalls
for lack of a punchy plot -- or even much eye candy. Sets, gizmos ...
www.chron.com/cs/CDA/moviestory.hts/ ae/movies/reviews/1817481 - 35k - Cached - Similar pages
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2003-12-17 07:48:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
A Working Holiday in the US has its Moments
Wednesday 16th January 2002. A Working Holiday in the US has its Moments.
Summer camp in the United States is a \'rite of passage\' for ...
www.newcastle.edu.au/news/media-releases/ 2002/LYONSus2002.html - 10k - Cached - Similar pages
nbc4columbus.com - Entertainment - \'Daddy Day Care\' Has Its ...
\'Daddy Day Care\' Has Its Moments. ... It may not even be the funniest one you see
this month, but it has its moments, most of them slapstick moments. ...
www.nbc4columbus.com/entertainment/2187948/detail.html - 58k - Cached - Similar pages
HoustonChronicle.com - \'Agent Cody Banks\' has its (few) moments
... minded operation. This movie has its moments, though it still stalls
for lack of a punchy plot -- or even much eye candy. Sets, gizmos ...
www.chron.com/cs/CDA/moviestory.hts/ ae/movies/reviews/1817481 - 35k - Cached - Similar pages
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
IanW (X)
: I don't think so, Susana - "to have its moments" is fine, but "to have a moment" is not the same thing
14 mins
|
darn, it would seem I just had a moment right here ;)
|
|
neutral |
Michele Johnson
: With Ian
23 mins
|
neutral |
Gordon Darroch (X)
: agree with Ian
30 mins
|
neutral |
Refugio
: True, Susana, this is the problem with search engines' contempt for the all-important little words like 'an' or 'its'
10 hrs
|
thanks everyone, I had a sneaky suspicion I was off somehow...
|
-1
23 mins
Not quite, but I think close to it.
7 moment
If you say that someone or something has their moments, you are indicating that there are times when they are successful or interesting, but that this does not happen very often.
The film has its moments.
He's not the thoroughly outgoing character you'd predict, although he has his moments.
PHR: V inflects
(c) HarperCollins Publishers.
If you say that someone or something has their moments, you are indicating that there are times when they are successful or interesting, but that this does not happen very often.
The film has its moments.
He's not the thoroughly outgoing character you'd predict, although he has his moments.
PHR: V inflects
(c) HarperCollins Publishers.
Peer comment(s):
disagree |
Charlie Bavington
: That's all true, but the phrase here is "to have a moment" not "to have its moments" - see also the comments to Susana's answer. Sorry :-)
1 hr
|
No problem. That's what I meant by "Not quite, but I think close to it."
|
+3
40 mins
intense emotional experience
This is quite a recent phrase, often used to express elation but also when someone throws a tantrum or is obviously in a bad mood. The last of these seems to be the case here - Rod's using the phrase ironically to try to get out of answering the question.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
mbc
: yes! it´s often used ironically. someone pretends to cry, sniffle and syas, "sorry i´m having a moment" i.e. an intense emotional exp.
7 mins
|
like those "moments" translators get when a cheque's been overdue for three months;)
|
|
agree |
Michele Johnson
: After reading Madeline's suggestion, I think you have a point. It's not clear whether she broke into tears, or got really angry, or what. I might say intense emotional *reaction* (experience sounds more passive)
51 mins
|
neutral |
Charlie Bavington
: not sure it has to be "intense", particularly. Also, not sure Rod's avoiding answering-Parky's Q "if you went out with her, then what did you talk about?" & Rod's response, to me implies a suggested shared experience-that Meg R s'times doesn't talk much.
1 hr
|
agree |
Nado2002
13 hrs
|
+2
52 mins
agreeing with gordon
see example:
The Hammer - Hamilton Man a Proud Ontarian
... God, I love Ontario. I'm…I'm sorry, I'm having a moment," sobbed
Trillium as he broke down on his porch and wept. 4 comments. ...
www.thehammer.ca/content/2003/0901/proud_ontarian.html - 15k -
It doesn´t have to be a bad moment, just intense. Like when two friends meet who haven´t seen each other in years, they excuse their excitement to those around them, "We had a moment."
The Hammer - Hamilton Man a Proud Ontarian
... God, I love Ontario. I'm…I'm sorry, I'm having a moment," sobbed
Trillium as he broke down on his porch and wept. 4 comments. ...
www.thehammer.ca/content/2003/0901/proud_ontarian.html - 15k -
It doesn´t have to be a bad moment, just intense. Like when two friends meet who haven´t seen each other in years, they excuse their excitement to those around them, "We had a moment."
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Gordon Darroch (X)
: thanks!
8 mins
|
agree |
Michele Johnson
: Valid point, thanks.
40 mins
|
i think you´re right that in this case it is bad, but it isn´t always. a tough nuance too explain!
|
+4
3 hrs
"funny five minutes"
Where somebody is visibly acting in a way that seems out of context with a given situation.
'Moment' indicates that it is a temporary thing, something that is triggered, but will pass quickly.
It could be a dreamy withdrawal...a group of friends chatting, and one suddenly 'switches off' with a dreamy smile as a memory is triggered - he's having a moment.
It could be a sudden temper tantrum.
It could be a moment of wild euphoria.
It is a personal thing, and because those witnessing it can't explain it or understand it, they say something like "she's having a moment", "she's gone off on one", "she's having a funny five minutes".
It would appear Meg Ryan was out of sorts (you go on a chat show to chat!)
She is famous for having 'a huge moment' in When Harry met Sally - ..
'Moment' indicates that it is a temporary thing, something that is triggered, but will pass quickly.
It could be a dreamy withdrawal...a group of friends chatting, and one suddenly 'switches off' with a dreamy smile as a memory is triggered - he's having a moment.
It could be a sudden temper tantrum.
It could be a moment of wild euphoria.
It is a personal thing, and because those witnessing it can't explain it or understand it, they say something like "she's having a moment", "she's gone off on one", "she's having a funny five minutes".
It would appear Meg Ryan was out of sorts (you go on a chat show to chat!)
She is famous for having 'a huge moment' in When Harry met Sally - ..
Peer comment(s):
agree |
mbc
: excellent explanation, spot on
33 mins
|
agree |
Lisa Frideborg Eddy (X)
: good one
3 hrs
|
Thanks. Hard one to explain....
|
|
agree |
John Bowden
: Good explanation - it's quite common recently to talk about "having a moment" of various kinds - e.g. if somebody forgets something ("What did I come in here for?", you can say, "Sorry, I'm having a senior moment - acting like an old, forgetful person
4 hrs
|
agree |
Laurel Porter (X)
: yes - covered quite well. hey john, we had a senior moment together (see my comment on Ian's answer)!
6 hrs
|
+1
1 day 27 mins
You're implying she (actually) had a moment (to spare to talk to me)?
You're implying she (actually) had a moment (to spare to talk to me)?
Guess Meg Ryan has a tight schedule/is not very talkative...
Guess Meg Ryan has a tight schedule/is not very talkative...
Peer comment(s):
agree |
yeswhere
: yes, this is the more literal usage, and considering her busy schedule, it makes sense. However, it would depend on the inflection: she HAD a moment, meaning had time for you; or she had a MOMENT as in the other answers
7 hrs
|
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