TASTES, PREFERENCES, INCLINATIONS

Tastes differ,or as another proverb puts it: one man's meat is another man's poison— one person may hate what another likes.

There is no accounting for tastesis another proverb mean­ing the same thing. But it often implies that the speaker has the better taste.

To like someone (or something) may be colloquially ex­pressed by these phrases: to take a fancy (liking) to someone (something)

Well, the truth is, I've taken a sort of fancy to you, Governor ... (B. Sh.) I took a fancy to him at once. (S. M.) He seemed to take rather a fancy to me. (J. G.) I took a great fancy to young Arbuthnot the mo­ment I met him. (0. W.)

You'll think me absurd, but do you know I've taken a great fancy to this fan that I was silly enough to run away with last night from your ball. (0. W.)

She might take quite a liking to her brother-in-law. (A. Chr.) The old man's taken a liking to it. (A. Chr.)

to take to somebody— to become fond of somebody; to form a liking for somebody

Hetty had already taken to the girl. ... (V. L.) My father took to him a lot the only time they met, and my father's darned difficult to please. (Gr. Gr.)

to have a soft spot for somebody (something)

She still sounded ratty. Nevertheless, I thought she had a soft spot for him. (C. S.) ... he liked observing human nature, and he had a soft spot for lovers. (A. Chr.)

to be fond of somebody (something)

He was fond of mysteries, and he liked observing human nature, and he had a soft spot for lovers. (A. Chr.)

He's close, he's narrow, he's not very fond of anyone except himself and his wife. (C. S.)

To grow on someoneis to win the liking, favour or admi­ration of.

If a person (a thing) grows on you,it means that you get to like him (it) more and more; you find him (it) more attractive as the time passes.

..she's just a child of Nature who positively grows on you. (B. R.)

It's surprising how the little thing grows on one. (B. R.)

You may not like the picture at first but it will grow on you.

(To be) after one's own heartis (to be) of the sort one very much likes or approves of.

Michael says your new Member, Dornford is after his own heart. (J. G.) However, cheer up; we are going to have a day after your own heart. (B. Sh.)

A blue-eyed boy (a white-headed boy)is colloquial for a favourite for the time being.

Take care of young Rogers — he's the blue-eyed boy in this office. (A. W.)

To be crazy (mad) about (on) something (somebody) is to be

greatly attached to; very fond of or enthusiastic about. To be keen on (about) and to be nuts on (about) have the same significance.

I'm crazy about him. He's crazy about me. We

can't live without each other. (A. Chr.)

She's mad about music.

"Which of us is it you're so keen on knowing?"

"It's all three, " I said earnestly. (J. P.)

Luckily I really am frightfully keen about

horses. (J. G.)

Michael's such dead nuts on her that he's getting

dull... . (J. G.)

I 'm nuts about her. She's nuts about him. (D. A. S.)

Some other phrases in common use are:

(to be) up one's street— suited to one's tastes (or powers)

"He thinks you're just a very nice elderly lady who was at school with his wife." He shook his head at her. "We know you're a bit more than that, Miss Marple, aren't you? Crime is right up your street." (A. Chr.)

to be one's cup of tea — the sort of thing (person) that 'pleases or appeals to one

A camping holiday is just my cup of tea. (W. B.) "I can't pretend, " I said, "that he's exactly my cup of tea." (C. S.)

It suits me to a "T"(down to the ground) expresses a high degree of satisfaction.

Harris said, however, that the river would suit him to a "T"... .

...It suited me to a "T" too, and Harris and I both said it was a good idea of Georges... . (J. J.)

If you like something you may, colloquially speaking, get a kick out of it, that is, enjoy it; feel a strong sense of satisfaction.

I dare say she got no end of kick out of doing it. Living it. (B. R.)

Some people might get a kick out of it. I didn't.

(A. Chr.)

She got a kick out of living. (R. K.)

To prefer one course of action to another or to like it more than another may be colloquially expressed by these phrases: I'd rather...

I'd sooner...

I'd just as soon...

Which would you rather have, tea or coffee?

(A. H.)

Me and Moosier here have met before — and

there's no man's judgement I'd sooner take than

his.

I would much sooner dance with you. (0. W.)

They'd dine out with people and make themselves

very pleasant but it was pretty obvious that

they'd just as soon have stayed at home. (S. M.)

She says she'd just as soon sit and watch the

tennis. (W. B.)

Indifference is expressed by these phrases in common use: It's all one (the same) to me.

"Butterfly or Oxford, " he said.

"It's all one to me!" (W. C.)

"What are you going to give us, Nikitin?"

"Anything you like, " said Nikitin, "it's all one

to me." (E. L.)

"Say what you think, " said Banford.

"It's all the same to me, " said March. (D. L.)

a button twopence a rap two hoots

Not to care

a fig two pins a row of pins a hoot, etc.

"I don't care twopence about money, " said Her­bert. (S. M.)

...I'm bound to tell you that I don't care two pins if you think me plain or not. (S. M.) I don't care a rap what your stepfather is. (H. W.) I don't care two hoots what counsel'11 do. (V. L.) "I don't, " said old Jolyon, "care a fig for his opinion." (J. G.)

To dislikesomething or somebody may be colloquially put in this way:

it's (he's) not my cup of tea— it (he) doesn't suit my taste; it is not the sort of thing (person) to appeal to me

''She's not my cup of tea." He grinned. "And I'm

not hers." (C. S.)

Mountaineering isn't exactly my cup of tea. (W.B.)

to have no time for somebody (something) —to dislike (him, it)

Between you and me, Freddy, I never had much time for this Manson, but that's neither here nor there. (A. C.)

I've no time for this sensational journalism. (W. B.)

Ican't stand (bear) it (him) or I can't stand (bear) the sight of him (it) —I dislike it (him) very much

I can't play. My fingers won't obey me. And

I can't stand the sound of piano. (B. Sh.)

I can't stand awful old men. (C. S.)

She just can't bear the sight of me. (C. S.)

And as for your blunder in taking my wife's

fan from here and leaving it about in Darlington's

room, it is unpardonable.

I can't bear the sight of it now. (O. W.)

I don't care for it; I have no liking for it; it is not to my liking (taste)are similarly used, all meaning it is not to my taste; I don't like it.

I don't care for the book. (H. P.)

I don't care for chips fried in olive oil, (W. B.)

Mr. Claye sighed. "It's a job I've no liking for, " he said. (J. F.)

John's way of doing things is not at all to my liking. (W. M.)

to go (be) against the grain— to be distasteful or contrary to inclination

A thing I've never been able to understand is why a woman thinks it worth while to make you do something you don't want to. She'd rather you did a thing against the grain than not do it at all. (S. At.)

This prosecution goes very much against the grain of an honest man. (B. Sh.)

Emphatic I like that!means just the opposite of what it says: it's used as an explosive protest against some suggestion.

"It's mine. Joe Morgan made me a present of it." "A present! Ho! I like that! He's not 'ere to deny it." (A. C.)

Colloquial phrases to express aversion and disgustinclude

the following: