to asking for it
19
7.8
- idiom
- Informal
:
buscarse problemas
- You're asking for it!
- just asking for it
- really asking for it
- guy asking for it
And it is right out there next to the scalp just asking for it, Right?
- And it is right out there next to the scalp just asking for it, Right?
- Yeah, that kid was probably up late, so I mean, he's asking for it.
- There are protests against people who think that when women dress provocatively, provocatively, that they're asking for it.
Examples
-
It's funny how all these guys are asking for it, huh?
-
- Because you were asking for it.
-
- But she was asking for it.
-
Yeah, but I was asking for it.
-
You know, you been asking for it ever since we got here.
-
Yeah, yeah, I get that folks are going to feel the poster was asking for it.
Blog text (25) -
He was asking for it.
-
You're really asking for it.
-
When you make trouble, you're asking for it.
Blog text (6) -
If you continue to speak to your teacher like that, you're asking for it.
Synonyms
36
5.4
Behave in a way that causes trouble for yourself
12
4.8
Act in a way likely to cause problems
Antonyms
How Risky
Surface Forms
Morphology
asking + for + it
The construction builds on the fairly transparent pattern 'ask for X' meaning 'invite or bring about X', so a learner who knows 'ask' and 'for' could infer that someone is inviting a consequence. However, the pronoun 'it' is vague and the conventionalized meaning 'provoking trouble/negative consequences' is idiomatic enough that it may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Asking for it makes a simple image: someone seems to ask for trouble by doing risky or rude things, as if they invited the problem. That's why it means 'behaving in a way likely to invite trouble'.