FEBRUARY 7, 2009 | To strike a chord, to strike out
A: To "strike a chord" is a positive idiom, and it means to reach someone on an emotional level, to really "get" to someone... It's often used in phrases such as "his message really struck a chord with the voters" - in other words, a lot of voters liked his message, or really understood his message, etc. To "strike out" is an idiom that comes from the game of baseball. When a batter "strikes out", it means he has failed in his attempt to hit the ball... In everyday speech, this idiom is also used to talk about failure - but of the romantic kind. If you see a girl/guy you like, and you approach them, or try to talk to them, and they tell you "thanks, but no thanks" - that's called "striking out". Failing to get the other person to be interested in you. This idiom is almost always used in these types of situations.
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