'throwing shades'/'shady'? What's the difference?
1) She was throwing shades at him.
In the sentence above, what does the phrase 'throwing shades' mean?
2) In Hollywood, going behind someone's back and doing something is really common but it's also very shady.
In this sentence, what does 'shady' mean?
Also, do they have the same context in both the sentences?

Question

'throwing shades'/'shady'? What's the difference?
1) She was throwing shades at him. 
In the sentence above, what does the phrase 'throwing shades' mean? 
2) In Hollywood, going behind someone's back and doing something is really common but it's also very shady. 
In this sentence, what does 'shady' mean?
Also, do they have the same context in both the sentences?

Answer

"Throwing shade" means subtly making fun of someone or making a comment that is insulting to someone. It's always "throwing shade" though, never "throwing shades."

"Shady" means that something seems distrustworthy. You can also use shady to mean something seems illegal/criminal...i.e. "Those two guys over there look shady," meaning they might be doing something illegal or generally look distrustworthy.

Throwing shade and shady have two different meanings, I don't think you could ever interchange them to be used in the same context as each other.

Answers · 2

Still haven’t found your answers?

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!