English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
Did you SAIL THROUGH or SCALE THROUGH or SCRAPE THROUGH?
I’m happy he ~scaled through~ his maths exam (nonstandard).
I’m happy he ~scraped through~ his maths exam (nonstandard).
I’m happy he *sailed through* his maths exam (standard).
If someone or something sails through a difficult situation or experience, they deal with it *easily and successfully*.
Forty is the pass mark and I had 41 so I have to be thankful that I ~sailed through~ (nonstandard).
Forty is the pass mark and I had 41 so I have to be thankful that I ~scaled through~ (nonstandard).
Forty is the pass mark and I had 41 so I have to be thankful that I *scraped through* (standard ).
To “scrape through” means to succeed at something or just barely manage to get through a difficult situation by a very narrow margin.
The man ~sailed~ the war with ease (nonstandard).
The man ~scraped~ the wall with ease (nonstandard).
The man *scaled* the wall with ease (standard).
If you scale something such as a mountain or a wall, you climb up it or over it.
GAB
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