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It wasn't working

English translation: the mother's idea, that I should actually move on, wasn't working (= having any effect).

09:14 Jan 25, 2004
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
English term or phrase: It wasn't working
Then there was a question of my actually moving on, that brilliant idea of the Mother-turned-dangerously-empowered-advice-columist. (She'd already sent me an e-mail asking if I knew any good lit agents.) It wasn't working.
vkan
Selected answer:the mother's idea, that I should actually move on, wasn't working (= having any effect).
Explanation:
work (have effect) = to be effective or successful (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
Selected response from:

chica nueva
Local time: 19:59
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +9the brilliant idea wasn't going according to plan
awilliams
4 +1it was ineffective
Mark Cole
4It was not happening
Alex Zelkind (X)
3 +1the mother's idea, that I should actually move on, wasn't working (= having any effect).
chica nueva
2the result wasn't the one I guessed
Annamaria Leone


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
It was not happening


Explanation:
Something was preventing this from happening. She could not do it for some reason

Alex Zelkind (X)
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in pair: 18
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
the result wasn't the one I guessed


Explanation:
The things were not going in the right way...

Annamaria Leone
Ireland
Local time: 08:59
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
it wasn't working
the brilliant idea wasn't going according to plan


Explanation:
I take the 'it' to mean that the 'brilliant idea of the Mother-turned-dangerously-empowered-advice-columist' wasn't going according to plan - meaning that the mother had maybe tried to act the dangerously empowered advice columnist and had failed, or was failing.

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Note added at 1 hr 56 mins (2004-01-25 11:10:55 GMT)
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OR -
A bit ambiguous. Could mean that \'I\' was trying to move on and it just wasn\'t working, \'I\' wasn\'t getting anywhere.
Was the mother trying to help her move on, but it isn\'t working?

Just some ideas.

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Note added at 1 hr 57 mins (2004-01-25 11:12:02 GMT)
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No, sticking with my first answer.

awilliams
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:59
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 201

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  NancyLynn
33 mins
  -> thanks NancyLynn :)
agree  melayujati: I'll go with the "it" referring to the plan for her to move on.
1 hr
  -> thanks
agree  Rajan Chopra
1 hr
  -> thank you
agree  DGK T-I
1 hr
  -> thanks Giuli
agree  RHELLER: maybe this person was trying to get "rid" of the mother - wanted to move on - like, away from her?
3 hrs
  -> could be, Rita - thanks
agree  Asghar Bhatti
11 hrs
  -> thanks
agree  Nado2002
12 hrs
  -> thank you
agree  Jörgen Slet
2 days 1 hr
agree  Rajiv Arora
7 days
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
it was ineffective


Explanation:
or unworkable, impractical, unrealistic

Without more context, I can only make a vague connection with what has gone before.
The idea of moving on (to work for a literary agent? trying to achieve some success in the literary world?) just isn't leading anywhere.

Mark Cole
Local time: 08:59
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jörgen Slet
2 days 1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
it wasn't working
the mother's idea, that I should actually move on, wasn't working (= having any effect).


Explanation:
work (have effect) = to be effective or successful (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

chica nueva
Local time: 19:59
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 83

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jörgen Slet
1 day 10 hrs
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