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against the grain

against the grain

Date: Sep 17 2015

Themes: Celebrity, Music, Pop Culture

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

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“I can never be safe; I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am.”

Singer Beyonce, talking about working hard and making her own rules. (BrainyQuote)

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

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opposite of the normal way or opinion

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

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Robert Downey, Jr. is best known for his role as “Iron Man.” But before that, he had gotten himself in a lot of trouble. He first took drugs at the age of eight, and spent a lot of his young adult life in jail. But somehow, after many years of going against the grain, he became a successful and likable, famous actor.

To go against the grain means to do things very differently than the way they are normally done. Do you remember the “cool kid” at your school? What did he or she do? What did he or she wear? Many times, it is people like this, ones that do things differently than most people, that everyone else starts to follow. Going against the grain often ends up being the popular thing to do.

Singer Beyonce says that she has always gone against the grain to make her music better. She thinks that being normal is OK, but being different is the only way to be successful.

What do you do that goes against the grain?

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

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“To be a vegetarian in Poland is really going against the grain.”

“I like Bernie Sanders as a politician because his views are really against the grain.”

“You have to go against the grain if you want to succeed in the music industry.”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

qq_baby doing the opposite
by qq_babySuper Member!

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Comments

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ynbrian86

China

you are not only unique in this world ,but also you can go against the grain to  find your way out  on something in this world .Smile and being confident 

09:54 AM Oct 09 2015 |

maybe_more

Ukraine

I think first of all you have to be confident, self confident. People feel that and become convinced you have the right to ask for more. If you are not sure you are the one, doing things differently (going against the grain) won’t help. 

07:59 PM Sep 22 2015 |

NIJ321655

NIJ321655

United States

I am all ways against the grain. But I be ok.:)


 

02:42 PM Sep 17 2015 |

julito1

julito1

Argentina

In the United States smoking in public is going against the grain . Some tv shows in my country  have large audiences, but if you ask me , i skip the channel that is airing the show, i would say that i go against the grain.    

02:41 PM Sep 17 2015 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

“Against the grain should be a way of life


What’s worth the price is always worth theh fight”


It’s something to do with happiness, I guess. The strive to reach goals. Not to go with the flow and lead an idle life, but to be interested, to be alive, to be bold, to be daring, to be persevering, to be different. But here might be some obstacles – people, who don’t want you to be different, who don’t want you to achieve sth simply who don’t want you to be happy.


So, against the grain, get through and do what you think is the right thing to do.

01:04 PM Sep 17 2015 |

50samir

50samir

Morocco

It’s not always this rule right, to be against the grain.


Some people live in a bad way, when they change it to good way means= against the grain.


and some other, they want to be different but they don’t know how,,, you find them only against the grain and that’s bad.


Now, i wanna tell you a truth, don’t belive in me, i was only trying to repeat ” against the grain” to remember it :D
You see, iam against the grain.


11:41 AM Sep 17 2015 |

Mike2014

Mike2014

Poland

you have to try to reach your goals. ” No pain.No gain “

10:21 AM Sep 17 2015 |

majiaoqin

majiaoqin

China

I think going against the grain is the only way to be successful. The technology is so fast,we have to do something special to make sure to catch our goal

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