Meaning & use
some nerve
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Meaning
phraseidiominformaldisapproving
Used to express anger or disbelief that someone has dared to do or say something rude or unreasonable.
Grammar: Used after have or got: you've got some nerve, she has some nerve.
Patterns
- someone has some nerve
- someone has some nerve doing something
- someone has some nerve to do something
You have some nerve asking me for a favor after what you said.
He's got some nerve showing up here after missing every meeting.
She has some nerve, criticizing my cooking when she never helps.
Common combinations
- have some nerve
- They have some nerve, charging that much for a small coffee.
- got some nerve
- You've got some nerve coming in late and demanding the best seat.
- some nerve to
- He had some nerve to blame me.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: some nerve or nervous?
some nerve vs nervous
Nervous means anxious. Having some nerve is the opposite, being boldly rude.
Practice
A neighbor who never helps now complains about your garden. What would you say?
Choose one answer.
Have some nerve expresses anger at someone's boldness. The other options misuse nerve or confuse it with nervous.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “some nerve”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.