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safaa
what is { butt in }?
mother had just started to explain to jane how to fix her sweater when Alice butted in.
Feb 7, 2010 9:39 PM
Answers · 6
3
Hello Safaa,
"butt in" means to break into a conversation.
Alice broke into the mother's speech about how to fix the sweater.
to butt in someone or something
means to interrupt someone or something.
Example:
"Tom butted in on Safaa to tell her that the mail had come."
February 7, 2010
1
Butt in = interrupt
1) Don't butt in when I'm talking.
2) She keeps butting in during our conversation.
3) It's rude to butt in when others are talking.
February 7, 2010
I'll just add a rough definition of "butt" - something which is blunt, rounded and perhaps heavy. The end of something (eg. cigarette butt). So "to butt" means to use a blunt/heavy/rounded thing to hit at something else.
Hope that helps with the idea behind the expression!
February 8, 2010
I just want to add that when using 'butt in' on a situation, we mean 'to become involved in a situation that does not concern you'. It is used in an informal context here, and 'interfere' is a synonym for 'butt in' in this case.
'I didn’t ask you to butt in on my private business.'
I also want to give you another expression (phrasal verb) which means 'interrupt a conversation'.
It is 'break in (on something). We use it to mean 'to interrupt' or 'disturb' something:
'She longed to break in on their conversation but didn’t want to appear rude.'
‘I didn’t do it!’ she broke in.
February 8, 2010
One thing that should be mentioned - a person can "butt in" to a situation as well as a conversation.
"The boy and the girl were having a good night kiss at her door when her father butt in and sent the boy home."
February 8, 2010
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safaa
Language Skills
Arabic, English
Learning Language
English
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