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...doesn't stand a prayer

 

An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not readily apparent based on the individual words in the expression. This forum is dedicated to discussing idioms and other sayings.


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  #1  
Old May 18, 2011, 04:55 PM
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...doesn't stand a prayer

I just heard this in a scripted TV show: "... after his dramatic debut, James Dean's career didn't seem to stand a player"

I know "he hasn't a prayer" and "he doesn't stand a chance" but I never heard this that looks to me like sort of a hybrid of both expressions. Is that a right sentence? Is it common?

Thank you in advance.
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Old May 18, 2011, 05:14 PM
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I think the other two options are far more common but "doesn't stand a prayer" is not unheard of to me.

Creo que las otras opciones son mas común. Pero he escuchado "does stand a prayer."
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Old May 19, 2011, 12:09 AM
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BNC has only one entry for "[stand] a prayer", and it's also a newspaper article. COCA has none. So it seems fair to say that it's not common.
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Old May 19, 2011, 04:45 AM
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I've never heard it, and out of context would have no idea what it meant.
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Old May 19, 2011, 06:05 AM
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Thank you all.

Then, it doesn't look as an expression recombining other expressions?
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Old May 19, 2011, 06:20 AM
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Originally Posted by aleCcowaN View Post
Thank you all.

Then, it doesn't look as an expression recombining other expressions?
Then, does it look like a combination of other expressions?
You are right. I certainly looks like a hybrid.

It doesn't stand a chance @ it doesn't have a prayer. Both mean the same
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