2

You've probably considered a yoga class once or twice—maybe your girlfriend tried to convince you—but for one reason or another it never stuck and you're still skeptical. Consider, then, one huge bonus of the practice you may not be aware of: it can improve your sex life.

link: http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a34978/yoga-poses-for-sex-life/

I'm unfamiliar with the term 'stick in this sentence.

I guess 'it never stuck' means something like 'it didn't work out or succeed'.

I searched the meaning of 'stick in the dictionary,

and it has so many different meanings as a verb and a transitive verb and different usages, so I'm confused.

link: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stick

Can you tell me the meaning-in-context of 'stick' in sentence I quoted, and give me some tips or examples to make use of the term 'stick'?

I'm afraid I may not be able to master the term 'stick' forever.

Improve this question
1
  • The specific meaning of stick you're looking for in this case is essentially "to hold to something firmly by or as if by adhesion". The article is using it in a metaphorical way, like "The yoga classes didn't take hold firmly in your mind."
    – stangdon
    Jan 5, 2016 at 15:13

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

This is a bit of a reference to a "sticker" - a piece of paper with some sort of message or picture on one side and adhesive on the other. Put it on a surface and if the "stickum" (adhesive) is "good" it will "stick". If the adhesive is weak or dirty, the sticker falls off sooner or later.

That's the sense in which "stick" is used in your quote. The person being addressed tried yoga but the adhesive (will power, motivation, etc.) wasn't strong enough to make him "stick with it", so he soon "fell out of" the habit, and quit.

Improve this answer
0

Sometime we use this expression to talk about learning and retaining something and thus "having it stick". The other answer speaks about adhesion and habits which is pretty much the same.

This particular usage is more about persuasion though. It's not common, or at least it's unfamiliar to me, so I checked the dictionary. Google's dictionary lists these all as connected to the same core meaning the best I can tell.

informal

be or become convincing, established, or regarded as valid.

"the authorities couldn't make the charges stick"

I can see how this word would trip you up.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .