Exceptional Expressions Posted 01/09/2010 Permanent Link
#17 Fast
EVERYDAY EVENTS:
This week’s Exceptional Expression for Everyday Events (E4) explores the word fast. Teachers may ask students to quickly return to their seats. Students may ask their teacher if they can quickly get a book at the library.
The word fast is an excellent word to explore on a word line. There are subtle differences in how quickly a task can be completed.
The word fast also has multiple meanings and usage. To fast (verb) is to purposefully go without food for a religious reason. To be fast (adj) friends is to be really good friends. Colorfast (adv) means the color cannot be removed from a piece of material or object.
EXCEPTIONAL EXPRESSION:
The most common usage of the word fast is to refer to the speed in which a task is completed or how quickly an object is moving. Generally doing something fast, like tiding up, is to tidy up in the least amount of time possible. But there are variations for how fast a person can tidy up.
Fast can also be used to describe an event that happens without warning. A hurricane that came really fast is one that came without much warning.
FOLLOW-UPS:
- are you doing your best work if you do your homework quickly?
- highways are sometimes called expressways. What is the express in expressway referring to?
- if you are walking fast, can you walk faster or the fastest?
THE SPANISH CONNECTION:
The word fast comes from an Old English word fæst, which means firm or fixed. What remains today of fæst and its original meaning is the word fasten. Fast does not have a Spanish cognate. The Spanish word for fast is rápido, which is the Spanish cognate for rapid.
WORD CHANGES:
1) IDIOMS:
- pull a fast one (on somebody)
- at a fast clip
- bad news travels fast.
- fast and furious
- fast friends
- fast-talk someone into something
- get nowhere fast
- life in the fast lane
- make a fast/quick buck
- make short/fast work of someone or something
- on the fast track
2) COMMON PHRASES:
- fast food
- fast asleep
Click here to download the printable version of E4: Fast.
