Help/ to back-pedal

Help/ to back-pedal
Message from miramiss posted on 14-01-2013 at 14:52:57 (D | E | F)

hello,
please could you help me how to correctly use to back-pedal, because it really baffles me ( someone back-pedals*).
I know it means they're not doing what they promised; but the thing is how to use it? should I say :
I don't want you to back-pedals ? if so how to conjugate it in the past ... or should I say you're a back-pedals person?
Thanks in advance..
Peace

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Edited by miramiss on 14-01-2013 15:01

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Edited by lucile83 on 14-01-2013 15:22

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Re: Help/ to back-pedal from dolfine56, posted on 14-01-2013 at 15:25:30 (D | E)
Hello,
You have to use the verb to backpedal
It means to backtrack, go back, reverse, reconsider, climb down, have second thoughts, change your mind....
ex: want us all to understand that several more thousand jobs are at stake if we backpedal on this report which we are being called to vote upon.
It's as if you were using the verb to pedal.
See you.

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Re: Help/ to back-pedal from notrepere, posted on 14-01-2013 at 17:14:19 (D | E)
Hello

It is more common to see it spelled without a hyphen. In the past, you would conjugate the verb 'pedal'

I backpedaled backpedalled
I am backpedaling backpedalling
etc.

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Edited by notrepere on 14-01-2013 23:53
Hello dolfine - The hyphen is not completely wrong, just not as common. Oxford has the hyphen. It's up to you.

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Edited by notrepere on 14-01-2013 23:54
Hello Lucile. Never. Ever. Ever.

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Edited by lucile83 on 17-01-2013 20:16
dear np!

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Re: Help/ to back-pedal from dolfine56, posted on 14-01-2013 at 17:44:25 (D | E)
Hello Notrepère,
Is it better now? I Took away the hyphen!

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Re: Help/ to back-pedal from lucile83, posted on 14-01-2013 at 21:09:07 (D | E)
Hello dear np

Will you stop talking to me if I say that both are possible? I hope not!
backpedal/back-pedal
Link

Link

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Re: Help/ to back-pedal from miramiss, posted on 17-01-2013 at 15:22:33 (D | E)
hello Dear Friend,
yes I agree with you , both are correct with or without the Hyphen.

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Re: Help/ to back-pedal from sherry48, posted on 18-01-2013 at 13:43:18 (D | E)
Hello.
I wouldn't say that someone is a back-pedaling person (adjective)...maybe a person who is always backpedaling or who likes to backpedal. Was notrepere backpedaling when he qualified his response to dolfine about the hyphen? Sherry

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