I hate to go out shopping, thus I let my fingers do the walk

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hereinchina
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Joined: Fri May 29, 2009 1:47 pm

I hate to go out shopping, thus I let my fingers do the walk

Post by hereinchina » Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:24 am

Hello,
Is sentence number one confusing because I don't make the context clear enough, or can you know that I'm referring to shopping online? In other words, do I need to add "and shop online" like I added in sentence number two, or do both sentences obviously have the same meaning?
1. I hate to go out shopping in Beijing because of the terrible traffic jams, thus I let my fingers do the walking.
2. I hate to go out shopping in Beijing because of the terrible traffic jams, thus I let my fingers do the walking and shop online.

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Lorikeet
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Post by Lorikeet » Fri Aug 17, 2012 5:26 pm

Your second sentence would be clearer. I remember an old advertisement for the yellow pages, the book for advertising businesses with their addresses and phone numbers, which said "let your fingers do the walking" but I don't know if that is understood by other people, and whether it would be understood to mean shopping online or not.

fluffyhamster
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Post by fluffyhamster » Sat Aug 18, 2012 1:39 pm

Fun and potentially instructive as that 'fingers' phrase may be, I think it's a bit too idiomatic (a Yellow Pages slogan < ? > a song by Neil Young) to be worth teaching. Why not just say "I (often) prefer to shop online, as it's easier/more convenient than trying to park (at) and walk around the shops".
Last edited by fluffyhamster on Wed Aug 22, 2012 4:50 am, edited 1 time in total.

hereinchina
Posts: 119
Joined: Fri May 29, 2009 1:47 pm

thank you

Post by hereinchina » Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:03 am

I want to thank both of you for taking the time to answer my question.

Michellekj
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Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:04 am

Fingers do the walking. Shop on line.

Post by Michellekj » Tue Feb 05, 2013 1:22 am

"fingers do the walking" is an idiom. So the second sentence is a better one.

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