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English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO] General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / opening
English term or phrase:opening
If it's any consolation, it really was the worst Christmas of my life. That was an opening, by the way.
A girl talks frankly to her ex about why she refused to continue with him, she admitted that it was a mistake, and she is expressing her willingness to return. The sentence above is in the end of her talk. I couldn't figure out what "opening" stands for here? They broke up at Christmas.
Explanation: By saying it was the worst Christmas she is telling him she is missing him. So now it is up to him to say something about missing her, so an "opening" for him to get back£
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 3 days 20 hrs (2020-07-23 11:10:25 GMT) Post-grading --------------------------------------------------
"Opening" has to mean chance or opportunity for him here (a way for him to get back with her). So, she says she had the worst Christmas (sub-text ... because you were not here and i was missing you...) and then says (there's your) opening (=opportunity/chance/way) Sub-text: IF you're interested in getting back with me, all you have to say is "yes, it was my worst Christmas too because I was missing you....Why don't we get back together since we are so miserable apart?
Well, on the information you've given us so far, I'd say not really. So far, she has only presented the problem — thus there is no 'initiative' for him to think anything about. I think now, then, that she is saying that her Christmas was spoilt because she missed him (but can't quite bring herself to say so in as many words), and she is inviting him to now say "Yes, mine too, we were silly to break up — let's get back together again!" — she's passing the ball over into his court, with a view to 'opening negotiations'
Not really, I don't think: that would more usually be something like "I'm opening up about what a horrible Christmas I had" What we need to know is if she broke it off because they had a horrible Christmas together; or if her Christmas was horrible because they broke up (or she was preparing to break the news). It sounds now to me more like 'opening' is being used in the sense of the first part of an exchange — like an opening in chess, say. And cf. 'an opening gambit'. In other words "I told you that in order to open the possibility of discussing this further." She adds 'by the way' just to make sure he knows she wants to talk about the situation. An 'opening' for him to broach the subject further...
Everything here hinges on the timing, which affects how we interpret it all. Did she break up with him BEFORE Christmas, and hence spent 'the worst Christmas of her life' because he wasn't with her? In which case, yes, it is strongly implying that she is using this as an explanation that she missed him, and hence ofeering the chance (opening) to get back together. If it were that she broke up with him AFTER Christmas, because it had been so bad, it is less easy to see how this could be an 'opening'...
"give someone an opening" in this type of context means you are making it easier for them to say something, or apologise, or make amends, or explain etc. Giving them a chance to speak, to "open up" about something...
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Answers
15 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): -1
The realisation that breaking up was wrong
Explanation: Opening, understanding event, eye opener, stimulus, etc.
Gabriel Ferrero France Local time: 02:14 Native speaker of: English
29 mins confidence:
the beginning
Explanation: Opening means She wants to start over their relationship, Now she realize about her decision in the past and expect can open the new chapter of their love story again with her boyfriend
Anastasia Andriani Indonesia Local time: 07:14 Specializes in field Native speaker of: Indonesian