What does the phrase:
I slept late yesterday.
or
He sleeps late on Sundays.
mean?
asked Feb 3, 2015 at 12:52
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2to sleep late - to sleep later than usual or customary; to sleep in.– CowperKettleFeb 3, 2015 at 12:53
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@CopperKettle Googled it too. But would you say that in real-world conversation?– Denis KulaginFeb 3, 2015 at 12:54
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I guess I would, because I've just checked Google Books and there are instances of it being used. ("For example, when a student makes an error such as, ”I sleep late” (meaning ”I slept late”), the teacher can write the error and the correction on the blackboard for the student to see.")– CowperKettleFeb 3, 2015 at 12:57
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.. and Google Ngram– CowperKettleFeb 3, 2015 at 12:58
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3Absolutely colloquial, to sleep late, to sleep in. To sleep for a longer time than usual. To sleep late can imply you had things to do, but missed. To sleep in implies that you have the freedom to do so, i.e. no early morning tasks/meetings etc.– TᴚoɯɐuoFeb 3, 2015 at 13:47
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1 Answer
"To sleep late" means sleeping longer than usual, staying in bed longer than usual in the morning. It does not mean "go to bed later at night" or "stay up late".
answered Feb 3, 2015 at 13:06
