...doesn't stand a prayer

aleCcowaN · #1 May 18, 2011, 04:55 PM

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.

LibraryLady · #2 May 18, 2011, 05:14 PM

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."

pjt33 · #3 May 19, 2011, 12:09 AM

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.

Perikles · #4 May 19, 2011, 04:45 AM

I've never heard it, and out of context would have no idea what it meant.

aleCcowaN · #5 May 19, 2011, 06:05 AM

Thank you all.

Then, it doesn't look as an expression recombining other expressions?

poli · #6 May 19, 2011, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

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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...doesn't stand a prayer

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