This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
preventive attack vs preemptive
dealer prive
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.)
Responses
3 +9 she was in a bad mood
4 +4 "funny five minutes"
4 +3 intense emotional experience
3 +2 agreeing with gordon
4 she was kind of OK...but not really
3 +1 You're implying she (actually) had a moment (to spare to talk to me)?
4 -1 Not quite, but I think close to it.

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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 45 mins (2003-12-17 08:20:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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.
Peer comment(s):
agree Michele Johnson : Yes, I interpret it as a *bad* moment, like she had a sudden outburst, or refused to talk
8 mins
Yes, "a bad moment" is good (if you know what I mean). Thanks Michele
agree Gordon Darroch (X) : in the context but I think this phrase has a wider meaning
14 mins
agree Chris Rowson (X) : Yes, "a moment of ..." ... well the stock phrase to which this refers is " a moment of madness", but here it is left undefined what it is a moment of. Just "one of those moments" ...
15 mins
agree Sabrina Eskelson
1 hr
agree Charlie Bavington : yes, obviously it'd help if we could see a tape of the i/v with the fragrant Ms Ryan, but at minimum it's unco-operative, possibly a little sulky, maybe chucking stuff round the green room just before she went on - who knows?!!
1 hr
Hi Charlie - good points there
agree John Bowden : Could be a bad mood, or certainly odd or out of character in some way - difficult to say exactly without seeing how exactly she behaved
7 hrs
agree Laurel Porter (X) : indeed - it can also be a "senior moment", i.e. temporary Alzheimer's, or even a brief stab of lascivious feeling... Pretty much any temporary spasm of atypical feelings or behavior.
9 hrs
agree Refugio : I have also heard, "Sorry, I was having a blonde moment."
9 hrs
agree Nado2002
14 hrs
Something went wrong...
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

--------------------------------------------------
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...
Something went wrong...
-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.
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."
Something went wrong...
+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.
Reference:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/tarnish09/39173.html

http://www.joannemerriam.com/journal/2001/oct01/31c.html

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
Something went wrong...
+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."
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!
Something went wrong...
+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 - ..
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
Something went wrong...
+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...
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
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search