best man
152
2.4
- noun
- /bɛst mæn/
:
padrino
- So I will be selecting a best man in the coming months.
One hiccup, the best man, did not want potatoes.
- One hiccup, the best man, did not want potatoes.
- Can you imagine what Trump's best man speech would be like?
- We're going to probably be best man at each other's weddings.
- Speaking of sports, though, I was almost a best man at a third grade tetherball wedding.
- No, that maybe that was Bubba When Hulk was the best man at Bubba's wedding.
- I couldn't go be the best man of these people.
- Yeah, he'd gone to be his his best friend's best man.
- Made me think which one of us could give a better best man speech.
- And my mom told me she goes, you know, kave can't be your best man.
- It was a beautiful wedding, but I don't, I don't remember having to give us best man speech though.
- And the girl friend that he was with said, so who's going to be your best man?
Examples
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I mean, you were the best man at my wedding, for crying out loud.
Fiction book (1995) -
He's my best friend, best man at my wedding.
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Which one of you is the best man?
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Well, then, it will be an honor to be your best man.
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For the duration of the dinner, the best man proposes the initial toast.
Blog text (24) -
You're gonna be my best man, Har, I mean it.
Fiction book (1994) -
When Jake got married, I was the best man and Charlotte was a bridesmaid.
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Lou's getting married and wants me to be his best man at his wedding.
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You promised me you'd be best man at your brother's wedding, and I'mma holding you to it.
How Involved
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'best man' transparently signals a prominent or 'best' male figure, so a B1 learner who knows both words and sees the wedding context can often infer it refers to an important male participant. However, the conventionalized, role-specific meaning (the groom's chief attendant with ceremonial duties) is a specialized, culture-bound sense that is not fully predictable from the parts alone, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Best man comes from older times when the groom picked his strongest or most trusted person, the best man, to stand by him and 'help' with important tasks or even protect him, and that's why today the best man is the groom's main helper and supporter at the wedding.