Learn English – “I can’t get over the way your face looks”

phrasal-verbsphrase-meaningsentence-meaning

Two old friends run into each other after long time. Now one of them's saying to another:

I can't get over the way your face looks.

What does that mean? In particular, what does get over mean here?

Best Answer

The phrasal verb get over means recover from. It's often used in the context of overcoming illness, injury, or a painful experience, but I like the way this Oxford dictionary defines it:

get over (phrasal verb) recover from (an ailment or an upsetting or startling experience): ‘the trip will help him get over Sal’s death’

In this case, the person is simply surprised by his old friend's face. We don't know why (context doesn't say), but we can make some guesses:

I can't get over the way your face looks – you look so young! (surprise)

I can't get over the way your face looks – your wife's death must have been hard on you. (empathy)

I can't get over the way your face looks – where is that face painting booth? (laughter)

Any of those three are possible, but I suspect it would be the first. It mirrors what one person wrote in an advertisement for a nutrition product:

Recently I was at a gathering, and was in the company of a man I'd worked with in 2003 and 2004.
I noticed he kept watching me. Finally I went over to him, extended my hand and introduced myself.
He said, “I know who you are, I just can’t get over how you look. You look twenty years younger.”

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