Hard-to-buy-for person: where do you put stress?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi

He is a hard-to-buy-for person.

I like this precise (AmE?) expression :slight_smile:

Could you say:

  1. Where do you put stress when pronounce it? :slight_smile: If use it.

  2. If don’t, what expression/word do you use instead?
    (I’m sure, each of us have at least one hard-to-buy-for person around and knows the problem quite well :))

2

Hi Tamara,

Do I detect the faint sound of jingle bells lurking in the background of this question? I would say there is no word stressed more than another in this little chain of words. As for finding another word for it well that’s too tall an order for me.

A

3

Hi Alan,

So you’d recommend pronouncing it in an unmusical and hopelessly monotonous manner? :slight_smile:

…too… for you?

OK… I feel that all is left to me now is to think of buying for (jingle bell) present the picture you’ve recently recommended :slight_smile:

4

Hi Tamara,

No, I don’t sound like that!

A

5

Alan, when I’m trying to pronounce it, I always put stress on for… but, to be honest I’ve never heard how it should sound. Just saw it in writing.

And, yes, the real and (fatal :slight_smile: ) necessity to buy a present for a person of such kind reminds me the expression :slight_smile:

6

I’d tend to stress the words ‘hard’ and ‘buy’ slightly and possibly also have a slight pause after the word ‘hard’. I definitely would not stress the word ‘for’ – rather the opposite.

I might also use finicky. :smiley:

Amy