give it a whirl
try it
TRANSLATION
give something a whirl = etwas ausprobieren --- GOOGLE INDEX give it a whirl: approximately 650,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
The instructions were easy to follow, so I thought I'd GIVE IT A WHIRL.
(The Hartford Courant)
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My brother lives here, so when I heard about the exhibition at the art museum, I decided to GIVE IT A WHIRL while visiting him.
(The Los Angeles Times)
(The Hartford Courant)
---
My brother lives here, so when I heard about the exhibition at the art museum, I decided to GIVE IT A WHIRL while visiting him.
(The Los Angeles Times)
Did you
know?
give something a whirl
idiom
- to attempt to do something, often for the first time
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, © Cambridge University Press 2009)
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WORD ORIGIN
Whirl is a verb and noun that likely has its roots in an Old Norse word for spinning. Today, it is used in various contexts related to spinning and turning. These include:
verb
- to revolve rapidly about a centre or an axis (the gyroscope whirled)
- to rotate or spin rapidly (The dancer whirled across the stage)
- to turn rapidly, changing direction (She whirled around to face him.)
noun
- something, such as a cloud of dust, that whirls or is whirled (The storm caused a whirl of dust.)
- a state of confusion (The stock market was in a whirl yesterday.)
- a state of mental confusion or dizziness (My head is in a whirl.)
Finally, whirl can also mean a brief experiment or try, which gives us the expression "give it a whirl," literally meaning to try something out. It's not clear how this definition evolved, but it may stem from "whirligig."
Sometimes written "whirlygig," it describes various types of spinning toys. During the American colonial period, a whirligig was a stick with a propeller attached to it, which was launched into the air by spinning the stick between two hands, or by "giving it a whirl."
(sources: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition 2000)
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SYNONYMS
give it a shot, take a shot at it, give it a try, take a crack at it, take a stab at it, give it a go, go for it
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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"I decided to give golf a whirl a few weeks ago. Now I love it!"
idiom
- to attempt to do something, often for the first time
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, © Cambridge University Press 2009)
---
WORD ORIGIN
Whirl is a verb and noun that likely has its roots in an Old Norse word for spinning. Today, it is used in various contexts related to spinning and turning. These include:
verb
- to revolve rapidly about a centre or an axis (the gyroscope whirled)
- to rotate or spin rapidly (The dancer whirled across the stage)
- to turn rapidly, changing direction (She whirled around to face him.)
noun
- something, such as a cloud of dust, that whirls or is whirled (The storm caused a whirl of dust.)
- a state of confusion (The stock market was in a whirl yesterday.)
- a state of mental confusion or dizziness (My head is in a whirl.)
Finally, whirl can also mean a brief experiment or try, which gives us the expression "give it a whirl," literally meaning to try something out. It's not clear how this definition evolved, but it may stem from "whirligig."
Sometimes written "whirlygig," it describes various types of spinning toys. During the American colonial period, a whirligig was a stick with a propeller attached to it, which was launched into the air by spinning the stick between two hands, or by "giving it a whirl."
(sources: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition 2000)
---
SYNONYMS
give it a shot, take a shot at it, give it a try, take a crack at it, take a stab at it, give it a go, go for it
---
SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"I decided to give golf a whirl a few weeks ago. Now I love it!"
