# I asked you to crack the window--NOT "crack" the window!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 7, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418 "2005-07-07T05:04:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c2a13f/32.png) [@pace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pace)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/1 "2005-07-07T05:04:27Z")
It was hot and no electric windows in my car. When I picked up a friend from the airport, today-- he flew in from Taiwan.-- I asked him to crack the window a little and he looked at me strangely and asked, “are you sure?” and I said, “ohhh hell yeah!” so he rams his elbow into the window!!! “WTF are you doing!!!” I said, he said, “just what you asked me to do!” :smack: So what other slang should I avoid with this guy, during his summer visit??? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/2 "2005-07-07T05:41:07Z")
I’m still not sure what you meant originally by “crack the window”. I’m assuming you meant something along the lines of “open it a crack”. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/3 "2005-07-07T05:42:55Z")
Well, I hope when y’all figgered it out you dint say “\ Just shoot me…” ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/4 "2005-07-07T10:25:27Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I’m still not sure what you meant originally by “crack the window”. I’m assuming you meant something along the lines of “open it a crack”. You assume correctly. To “crack” something means to open it slightly. To the OP, I must protest your use of quotation marks. You really asked him to “crack” the window, he tried to crack it. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/5 "2005-07-07T12:02:29Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I’m still not sure what you meant originally by “crack the window”. I’m assuming you meant something along the lines of “open it a crack”. Must be an American idiom; I am quite familiar with it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/6 "2005-07-07T12:13:47Z")
I’m not familar with the idiom at all, but I’d have probably have asked “what, you mean _open it_ a crack?”, rather than assume I was to deliberately effect damage. I recommend that you try to refrain from exclaiming “Well, fuck me!” ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/7 "2005-07-07T12:23:33Z")
Don’t play Blackjack with the guy. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/8 "2005-07-07T15:49:57Z")
Take him to shoot kids playing football with a camcorder. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/9 "2005-07-07T16:40:50Z")
Minor hijack: There’s an old urban legend about the tragic use of phrasal verbs. As the story goes, a cockpit black box tape recording taken from a foreign airliner that crashed into the side of a mountain has the air traffic controller yelling, ‘pull up!’ with the last words of the pilot asking his cabin mates, ‘what does this “pull up” mean?’ > [@pace](#): > > …So what other slang should I avoid with this guy, during his summer visit??? For summer, steer clear of the following: \> If you want to avoid kitchen fires, be careful recommending they ‘toast some marshmallows’. \> Beach activities such as ‘wind-surfing’ and ‘skinny dipping’ will probably result in a blank stare. \> ‘Labor Day’ celebrations have nothing to do with working - or giving birth. \> Keep your anger under control - Avoid using ‘Go fuck yourself’ & ‘Eat shit’. \> Hide all umbrellas before suggesting they ‘bring the sun block’. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/10 "2005-07-07T17:05:26Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Take him to shoot kids playing football with a camcorder. If they’re playing football with _my_ camcorder, you’re damn right I’ll shoot them 😛 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/11 "2005-07-07T18:43:31Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > Minor hijack: There’s an old urban legend about the tragic use of phrasal verbs. As the story goes, a cockpit black box tape recording taken from a foreign airliner that crashed into the side of a mountain has the air traffic controller yelling, ‘pull up!’ with the last words of the pilot asking his cabin mates, ‘what does this “pull up” mean?’ The UL has the facts munged a bit, but this is based on a real event. (from [http://www.md80.net/yabbse/index.php?PHPSESSID=49c30240e500d733dff41ac6d8907682&topic=78.msg235](http://www.md80.net/yabbse/index.php?PHPSESSID=49c30240e500d733dff41ac6d8907682&topic=78.msg235)) > [@](#): > > 13 Nov 1993 URUMQI, CHINA > China Northern MD82 from Beijing to Urumqi, China with 92 pax crashed in a field 3 kms before runway when autopilot re-engaged during ILS approach to Urumqi in dense fog. GPWS warning system operated perfectly, but the pilot flying did not understand aural warning “Pull up”. CVR recording ends with him asking what the warning means. 12 casualties, four of them crew members. This site also has the above incident (with less details) plus incidents of many other communication problems that resulted in disaster: [http://www.airlinesafety.com/editorials/BarriersToCommunication.htm](http://www.airlinesafety.com/editorials/BarriersToCommunication.htm) ---
**Author:** ![pace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c2a13f/32.png) [@pace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pace)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-asked-you-to-crack-the-window-not-crack-the-window/311418/12 "2005-07-08T03:46:19Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Take him to shoot kids playing football with a camcorder. HAHAHA!!! these are too funny! And I’m sure if I tried to sit him down and explain why they’re funny, the guy will give me a blank stare! 😃