English Language Learners Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for speakers of other languages learning English. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
What is the meaning of "pull it over"?
I work in a meat factory where we were cutting meat, and my co-worker, who was on the other side of the table, gave me a command "to pull it(the meat) over" as his side was filled with cutted meat; I got confused, because the phrase is used by police to stop the car to the side.
Your coworker was asking you to move the meat to your side of the table.
“To pull” is used as a generic verb for moving objects, but also specifically refers to the act of moving something closer to you. The same is true of “to push” which is used as a generic verb for moving objects and also specifically meaning to move an object away.
“Over” here is specifying the direction of pulling. The coworker wants you to “pull it [the meat] over [to your side].”
This is all tracking with the common and literally meanings of the terms. The phrase “to pull over” meaning “to stop while acting as a police officer or similar” comes from shortening “to pull over to the side of the road.” When a cop tries to get you to stop driving, you’re supposed to pull over to the side of the road (literal meaning here). The term “pull over” has been used in this context so much, it has taken on a metaphorical meaning referring to any stopping of a suspect by police or similar.
It depends on the context. It mostly said to stop a vehicle closer to the side of the road, possibly for charges.
The cops pulled me over because one of my brake lights wasn’t working.
In some context could mean "To pull something over someone or something". or
"To draw or drag something over someone or something".
Aaron pulled the cover over the birdcage for the night.
Your coworker was asking you to position the meat to your side of the table.
