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Glite Dictionary
half pregnant

half pregnant

9.8
Only a full decision is possible, with no room for partial support
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : compromiso total
  • When making decisions, you can't be half pregnant; you have to choose a clear path.

Examples

  • The project's success depends on everyone being committed; there's no room for being half pregnant.

  • Like the one thing I really preach in this book is not being half pregnant with your ask.

  • In negotiations, being half pregnant will only lead to misunderstandings and frustration.

Antonyms

full commitment
1 3.5

Putting all your time and effort into a task

Surface Forms

half pregnant positive

Morphology

half + pregnant

The literal meanings 'half' (partially) + 'pregnant' (carrying a pregnancy) yield the idea of being 'partially pregnant,' and knowledge that pregnancy is effectively binary can cue learners to the intended 'all-or-nothing' sense. However, the expression's figurative extension to non-biological commitments relies on pragmatic and cultural inference beyond the words themselves, so it is not fully predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Half pregnant comes from the simple idea that you cannot be half and pregnant at the same time, because pregnancy is all or nothing. So people use half pregnant to say you must make a full decision or 'commit fully', not a partial or unsure choice.