Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“One of the first deals I signed, the guy wanted my name to be Minaj. I fought him tooth and nail, but he convinced me.”
Rapper Nicki Minaj, talking about changing her name when she became famous (BrainyQuote)
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
fight as hard as one can to get what one wants
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
You’re in a store, and you hear crying. You turn a corner and see a child screaming for a toy or some candy. Maybe he’s lying on the floor, kicking his legs. His face might be red and wet with tears. His parents are probably wishing they hadn’t come to the store, but everyone seeing the child understands what’s happening. They understand because we’ve all fought tooth and nail for something that we really wanted.
It’s true that maybe you didn’t cry and scream for things when you were little like the rest of us, but you have probably worked your hardest to get something else. Students will fight tooth and nail to go to the best universities. People often fight tooth and nail to get a new and better job. Brothers and sisters will even fight tooth and nail to get the best seat in the family car. We fight tooth and nail when something is important to us.
American rapper Nicki Minaj did not want to change her name to Minaj. She fought tooth and nail to keep her real last name, Maraj. Finally, she decided that it would be OK to change it, but not until she had said everything she needed to say on the subject.
What will you fight tooth and nail for?
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“After fighting her parents tooth and nail, they finally agreed to let Lola go to Europe.”
“To get what you want, you sometimes have to fight tooth and nail.”
“I fought tooth and nail to see the new George Clooney movie, but it wasn’t all that great.”
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