Is the phrase "press on!" still used often or in American English?
Good evening everyone,

I used to have a friend from the UK when I was in community college and he would say and write (in emails, text messages, etc.) this phrase a lot. I guess it means to encourage the listener to keep trying or something like that, I still don't know for sure but is the phrase still used often or in American English?

Thanks.

Question

Is the phrase "press on!" still used often or in American English?
Good evening everyone,

I used to have a friend from the UK when I was in community college and he would say and write (in emails, text messages, etc.) this phrase a lot. I guess it means to encourage the listener to keep trying or something like that, I still don't know for sure but is the phrase still used often or in American English?

Thanks.

Answer

No this is not used.

Answer

Google's ngram viewer show no fall in usage, which is very limited in either British or American English - though there is a slightly higher frequency of use in the US sample they use. A straight google search shows more than 39 million exact matches, though :) An American country singer, June Carter Cash, used it as an album title ... https://www.nodepression.com/album-reviews/june-carter-cash-press-on/

Answer

Your guess is right. It means to continue doing something in a determined way, regardless of difficulties.
I think it's a UK phrase. don't know if American speakers use that.

Also, it can mean to try to make someone accept something：
【She kept pressing more food on us.】

Answer

I have not heard it being used often in the US.

Answers · 5

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