In/On

[irmamar]

Dar una bofetada:

Slap in the face.
Blow on the face.

Why in/on?

[poli]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Dar una bofetada:

Slap in the face.
Blow on the face.

Why in/on?

Blow on the face significa soplar en la cabeza.(por lo menos en EEUU)
A slap in the face una befetada.

De verdad no sé por que usamos in the face. La verdad es que inglés
no es siempre lógico.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by poli

Blow on the face significa soplar en la cabeza.(por lo menos en EEUU)
A slap in the face una befetada.

De verdad no sé por que usamos in the face. La verdad es que inglés
no es siempre lógico.

¿Soplar en la cabeza? Lo he visto en el diccionario cuando buscaba la palabra "slap" (bofetada).

[poli]

A blow can be a slap or to be hit hard.
The boxer received a blow to the ribs and fell down.
The news that he was fired was quite a blow to his ego.

Blow also means soplar. Blow out the candles. If the soup is hot you may
want to blow on it. Blow on the face is just not a common term.
If you want to you blow in this case here's an example and note that
the preposition changes again: In a car accident, I received a blow to the
face that broke my nose.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by poli

A blow can be a slap or to be hit hard.
The boxer received a blow to the ribs and fell down.
The news that he was fired was quite a blow to his ego.

Blow also means soplar. Blow out the candles. If the soup is hot you may
want to blow on it. Blow on the face is just not a common term.
If you want to you blow in this case here's an example and note that
the preposition changes again: In a car accident, I received a blow to the
face that broke my nose.

But if I wanted to define a slap, could I say that it's a "blow on the face"?

[laepelba]

But "slap in the face" is more idiomatic. "Blow on the face" isn't idiomatic. It's simply a statement. Like Poli, I don't know why it's "slap IN the face". It just is.

[bobjenkins]

Blow to the face , significa guantear / golpear al rostro (to hit someone´s face)

blow on the face, es algo que el viento hace (soplar) ( si tu diccionario dice que significa "slap on the face" me no parece correcto

Slap on the face significa

[poli]

Originally Posted by irmamar

But if I wanted to define a slap, could I say that it's a "blow on the face"?

Slap es un golpe con la mano abierta. Tambien frecuentamente se usa
figuradamente. Ejemplo: I helped him so much and I didn't get invited to
his wedding. WHat a slap in the face!
A cop slapped me with a ticket for double parking.
(el polica me dio una multa por estacionar en doble fila)

[chileno]

Like Lou Ann and Poli say, it is idiomatic.

I am under the impression that every time I hear "slap in the face" is as if was being emphasized that it was "in the face", where it could've been just a blow to/on the face.

Am I right?

[poli]

A blow in the face can be used this way. She blew smoke on my face.

A blow to the face is what a boxer may do.

[laepelba]

There's also "in (the) face" or "in your face" - which is like a proverbial "slap in the face". I could say the following: "This morning my colleague was in my face about the answer I gave to the inquiry. She was really angry and let me know it!"

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by poli

A blow in the face can be used this way. She blew smoke on my face.

Just to confuse matters, in BrE it would always be: She blew smoke in my face, never on.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Just to confuse matters, in BrE it would always be: She blew smoke in my face, never on.

Actually, I'm not sure that I would be comfortable with "blow smoke on my face", either - I'm with Perikles on that one: "She blew smoke in my face."

[poli]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Just to confuse matters, in BrE it would always be: She blew smoke in my face, never on.

So do we. I think ...smoke in my face sounds better.

I think prepositions are the most difficult to learn--especially in English.
Where's the logic?

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by poli

So do we. I think ...smoke in my face sounds better.

I think prepositions are the most difficult to learn--especially in English.
Where's the logic?

There are SO many things about English that are not logical!!!!

[poli]

Originally Posted by laepelba

There are SO many things about English that are not logical!!!!

I know, Lou Ann, but I don't want to discourage learners. After all most of the active native Spanish speakers here are doing well.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by poli

I know, Lou Ann, but I don't want to discourage learners. After all most of the active native Spanish speakers here are doing well.

See how far behind I am on my reading!? Yes, you're right - let's not tell them.