The table in my living room is not parallel to the wall as shown in the above picture.
Is it correct to say "The table is angled towards the wall. Push it straight back." in everyday conversation?
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3"The table's crooked. It needs straightening." In real life, if your table normally stands parallel to the wall you don't need to spell out exactly what is wrong about its position.– Kate BuntingApr 12, 2021 at 11:05
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1 Answer
The table is angled towards the wall.
This sentence is fine, but "towards" implies that one corner is too close to the wall and that it should be corrected by pushing that corner away from the wall. To remove that implication, either:
The table's angled to the wall.
or
The table's at an angle to the wall.
Do use the contraction "table's" as this is everyday conversation.
Push it straight back.
It's clear what this means in context, but otherwise I'd interpret it as "Push it in a straight line away from you". You may prefer:
Push it back straight.
"Push it to where it was before, which was straight"
or
Push it straight.
"Push it so it is aligned with the wall"
or
Push it back.
Could mean "Push it to where it was before" or "Push it away from you", the context makes it clear it should be pushed to align with the wall in either case.
or
Put it straight
If you don't care whether they push or pull.
Put the table straight
Is probably the most concise way to say the whole thing.
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1I would usually say "make it square" rather than "make it straight to the wall." Apr 12, 2021 at 12:20
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@randomhead Yeah, "make it square" is a good alternative (unless the person is holding a saw!) but I think "push it straight" is fine. It's a good point that "square to" is better than "straight to", which sounds like "directly to". Apr 12, 2021 at 12:46