"Can it" in this instance means "Shut up", stop talking - it has nothing to do with ability.
It is very probably a remote reference to canning food to preserve it, the link being that to can something is to close it up tight, to put a lid on it - hence to stop talking, close your mouth.
Answer from DoneWithThis. on Stack Exchange"Can it" in this instance means "Shut up", stop talking - it has nothing to do with ability.
It is very probably a remote reference to canning food to preserve it, the link being that to can something is to close it up tight, to put a lid on it - hence to stop talking, close your mouth.
This is a verb based on use of a can, specifically a trash can.
can, v.³
2. trans. a. U.S. slang....
b. can it: used in the imperative to command someone to stop talking, esp. on a particular subject; ‘shut up’, ‘give it a rest’.1915 G. Bronson-Howard God's Man vii. i. 398
Archie brooded over his wrongs; his shrill voice rising oftener than pleased Pink's partner. ‘Can it, can it,’ the latter urged.
It's not actually used in its original literal sense—'to put into a trash can'—very much, but this figurative use has continued to be popular.
Note that this use isn't confusing to native speakers at all because the more common verb can ("be able to") needs to be followed by another verb to explain the action one is discussing or at least reference such a verb. This use will be spoken very curtly and forcefully, as a command, and isn't easily confused with the other.
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Imagine asking for someone to open a door for you. ‘could you open the door for me’ and ‘can you open the door for me’. what is the difference?
Hey folks! I was wondering if someone could explain the difference between "Can you" and "Could you" when you are making a request to someone?
Egs: "Could you pass the salt, please?" vs "Can you pass the salt, please?"
Are they both exactly the same, or is there a subtle difference? Or perhaps it's a regional difference?
Thanks!
I have puzzled over when should I adopt will/would or can/could.
Apart from conditional scenario, simply like:
Can? Could? I borrow a book from you
Or would you mind to borrow me a Hooke? / will you borrow me a book?
Please help me to solve this puzzle! Thanks
The short and simple answer is that they are varying degrees of uncertainty.
If you say The cat is dead you are 100% sure the cat is dead, otherwise you wouldn't say it. If you say the cat might/may/could be dead you are not 100% certain. If you say the cat can be dead it is a possibility, but you don't know if it actually true or not. If you say the cat must be dead then you are voicing a conclusion, but again you don't know if it true or not.
Viewing modality as a matter formality is simplistic. More formality usually correlates to less directness, and less directness manifests in speech as more uncertainty expressed through modal verbs, but this is a side-effect of a behaviour issue more than a linguistic one.
From my experience:
"You can" tends to mean that someone is able to do something that they probably thought they wouldn't be able to. / ability / permission / certainty / possibility
"You could" means that although it is technically possible to do something, you aren't likely to. Formal suggestion / formal possibility / past ability
"You may" is similar to "You can," but is more formal. / permission / formal suggestion / weak degree of certainty
"You might" implies that the question was not if it was possible or not, but rather if they would. Also, it often means that it is most likely that you will not do the action but that it is a possibility. / suggestion / weak degree of certainty / formal suggestion
Although these differences are small, they may ;) help you seem more like a native speaker. Still, these differences are small and you can often use any of the words.