6

A girl said to me seriously, "I got a paranormal power and I can fly like a bird." Then she started moving her hands up and down and then starting moving her feet along with waving her hands, all as she kept smiling.

I said, "You gave me a wacky move, isn't it?"
The other girl said, "You're wacky."
Then I said, "It seems you're really wacky, aren't you?"

  1. Is it correct use of word wacky?
  2. Could you also tell me one or two real life sentences of using word wacky? (BTW I already got a sentence from dictionary but I need more to enhance my knowledge.)
|improve this question
  • 3
    A good way to find sample sentences for a word like wacky is to do a search for a simple phrase (like "is wacky" or "was wacky") on Google books. – J.R.♦ Mar 16 '13 at 12:08
6

I would say, if a girl was telling you she had paranormal power and could fly like a bird, you've picked an excellent context to drop the word "wacky." Wacky is a rather informal term, and it means zany. NOAD defines it as "funny or amusing in a slightly odd or peculiar way."

You gave me a wacky move, isn't it?

That said, the sentence construct you given doesn't quite feel natural. First of all, the statement in the first of the sentence should agree more with the question in the second half. So, it would probably be better to say:

You gave me a wacky move, didn't you?

or:

That's a wacky move, isn't it?

Also, people may "bust a move", or "show a move," but we generally don't "give a move." So, when she was flapping her arms, you might have said one of these:

You look wacky doing that – you know that, right?
That looks wacky – you, trying to fly.
Do you have any idea how wacky that looks?
I didn't realize you were so wacky.

I think that, in the context you mention, any of those would be interpreted as good-natured kidding around. (I also think that what you said would be interpreted the same way, even if the English could have used a slight adjustment.)

Lastly, make sure you stay on her good side – just in case she really does have paranormal powers.

|improve this answer
  • @j-r I really learned a lot from your answer and enjoyed the learning process because your way of answering clearly shows, not only you've good understanding of English language but also (and this is more important) to understand the context of the question the way it was asked. I'm honored. Could you tell me a way to learn US English step by step, the point is I can learn words and pronunciation but the way we construct sentences it doesn't sound natural to native speakers. – Sam Mar 20 '13 at 8:09
  • As you said, it's a step-by-step process, and the best way to learn it is to immerse yourself in it whenever you can. I don't know where you're living, or how much contact you have with native speakers, but, if you want to improve, interact with native speakers as much as you can. Also, it wouldn't hurt to tell your close friends, "I want my English to improve, so, if I say a sentence, but there's a better, more natural way to say it, please tell me." They might think they'll hurt your feelings if they correct you, so, if you implore them to give feedback, they'll be more willing to do so. – J.R.♦ Mar 20 '13 at 9:52

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.