Timeline for What is the common verb used to say you jerk a little bit because someone suddenly calls you while you are focusing on something?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
6 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Oct 29, 2023 at 15:49 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | I don't think the two words share a common origin, but a start can be a sudden movement of surprise or alarm (perhaps as a result of being startled). Less commonly, the verb form He started can be used to mean He made a sudden movement of surprise or alarm. So He started when I startled him (meaning He jerked / jolted / moved suddenly when I surprised him) is syntactically and semantically fine - it's just a bit of an "awkward assonance". | |
| Oct 29, 2023 at 15:48 | answer | added | Jack O'Flaherty | timeline score: 0 | |
| Oct 29, 2023 at 15:43 | answer | added | James K | timeline score: 3 | |
| Oct 29, 2023 at 15:43 | answer | added | Astralbee | timeline score: 4 | |
| Oct 29, 2023 at 15:39 | comment | added | TimR on some device | If you had jumped out of your seat when startled, or threw your coffee cup into the air, you could say "...startled the hell out of me" but not if you "jerked a bit". | |
| Oct 29, 2023 at 15:19 | history | asked | Tom | CC BY-SA 4.0 |