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pick them up

 
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jasonlulu_2000



Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 879

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 6:17 am    Post subject: pick them up Reply with quote

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them up from dreams and hug them for real.

What does "pick them up from dreams" mean?


The CBS switchboard lighted up that night with dozens of calls from people moved by that story in some way and hundreds of letters came in.

How can "a switchboard lighted up" happen when we usually say a room or a place lights up?

Thank you
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Suzanne



Joined: 21 Apr 2008
Posts: 283
Location: Seattle, WA, USA

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 7:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi!

Quote:
There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them up from dreams and hug them for real.


This sentence is saying that when you can't be with someone, you miss them so much that you wish you could make them appear and be with you. If that could happen, then you could hug them! "Pick them up from dreams" means that you want to have them be physically near you, not just in your thoughts or dreams.

Quote:
The CBS switchboard lighted up that night with dozens of calls from people moved by that story in some way and hundreds of letters came in.


When someone makes a phone call to a business, a light goes on to let the operator or receptionist know that a call is coming in. That way, it's possible to see how many calls need to be answered at any time. A large company, such as CBS, has a big switchboard to handle many incoming calls--every call would cause another light to go on. So, if a lot of people suddenly decided to call CBS, the switchboard would light up like a Christmas tree!

By the way, a native speaker would say "The CBS switchboard lit up that night..."

Does this help?
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jasonlulu_2000



Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 879

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:38 pm    Post subject: thank you Reply with quote

thank you Suzanne. That helps a lot.
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