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Eddie Kal
Eddie Kal
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"This/that is a first", colloquially, is an idiom that means "this is the first time this has ever happened (to me)." It gives force to the idea of experiencing something for the first time, in a short, succinct manner. Essentially a first means "the first time/experience/occurenceoccurrence."

If it were "This is the first," it actually wouldn't make sense, because that phrase begs the question: "The first what?"

"This/that is a first", colloquially, is an idiom means "this is the first time this has ever happened (to me)." It gives force to the idea of experiencing something for the first time, in a short, succinct manner. Essentially a first means "the first time/experience/occurence."

If it were "This is the first," it actually wouldn't make sense, because that phrase begs the question: "The first what?"

"This/that is a first", colloquially, is an idiom that means "this is the first time this has ever happened (to me)." It gives force to the idea of experiencing something for the first time, in a short, succinct manner. Essentially a first means "the first time/experience/occurrence."

If it were "This is the first," it actually wouldn't make sense, because that phrase begs the question: "The first what?"

Post Merged (destination) from ell.stackexchange.com/questions/9977/a-first-versus-the-first
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Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown
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"This/that is a first", colloquially, is an idiom means "this is the first time this has ever happened (to me)." It gives force to the idea of experiencing something for the first time, in a short, succinct manner. Essentially a first means "the first time/experience/occurence."

If it were "This is the first," it actually wouldn't make sense, because that phrase begs the question: "The first what?"