Learn English – “that I can’t talk the way out of” – what does it mean

idiomsmeaningsentence-meaning

There really isn't any situation that I can't talk my way out of.

what's that part mean: "I can't talk my way out of." Is it an idiom?

Best Answer

"I can't talk my way out of." Is it an idiom?

Yes, to "talk one's way out of" is an idiom. It means to evade negative consequences by convincing the imposer of those consequences not to do so.

Examples:

I got stopped for speeding on the way home, but talked my way out of a ticket.

I was sure he was going to get fired for that, but he talked his way out of it.

It's is worth noting that a way out is itself an idiom, meaning an avenue of escape. In a literal sense, "a way out" is any exit from a place, from a door in a room to the path out of a maze to the route out of a cave system. It is used metaphorically for any means of escaping a bad situation or dreaded consequence, comparing them implicitly to a trap or prison. So people speak of needing to find "a way out" of relationships, jobs, responsibilities, contracts, etc.

Thus to "talk one's way out" of something is to escape a situation by means of one's verbal interpersonal skills.

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