Thursday, February 6, 2014

It feels cramped.

Hey guys, do you know what this means? This adjective comes from the noun cramp. This has a few meanings:

  1. I have a cramp in my leg. (leg spasm & pain) 
  2. She's on her period so is taking medicine for stomach cramps. (spasm & pain women feel when menstruating)
  3. I have a cramp in my arm. 

Number 3 is when your muscle isn't responding, you have a temporary paralysis. Usually, because your arm or leg was in a tight space which reduced circulation and it fell asleep. This gives us the adjective cramped which means that something feels too small, too tight, the space is restricted & uncomfortable.

I don't like this hotel room it feels cramped. There's too much furniture for such a small space.

He lives in a cramped apartment.

She has cramped handwriting. All her letters and words are too close together. It's really hard to read.

There is also an idiom: to cramp one's style. I think this isn't used that much these days, it was popular in the 1970s-80s. It means that someone is too close, getting in the way and stopping you from acting as freely as you'd like. The image that comes to mind is two guys go out to a bar to meet women but one guy is getting in the way of the ladies man.

Matt: So which girls should we talk to?

Mike: There's no rush man, I'll let you know when I see some cute girls.

Matt: What should I say? How about her, she's cute!

Mike: Dude, you're cramping my style, just chill out.

Matt: Sorry man.

Have a good weekend!

Phil

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