(~s, pleasing, ~d)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
You say ~ when you are politely asking or inviting someone to do something.
Can you help us ~?...
Would you ~ open the door?...
Please come in...
‘May I sit here?’—‘Please do.’...
Can we have the bill ~?
ADV: ADV with cl politeness
2.
You say ~ when you are accepting something politely.
‘Tea?’—‘Yes, ~.’...
‘You want an apple with your cheese?’—‘Please.’
ADV: ADV with cl, ADV as reply formulae
3.
You can say ~ to indicate that you want someone to stop doing something or stop speaking. You would say this if, for example, what they are doing or saying makes you angry or upset.
Please, Mary, this is all so unnecessary...
CONVENTION feelings
4.
You can say ~ in order to attract someone’s attention politely. Children in particular say ‘~’ to attract the attention of a teacher or other adult. (mainly BRIT)
Please sir, can we have some more?...
CONVENTION politeness
5.
If someone or something ~s you, they make you feel happy and satisfied.
More than anything, I want to ~ you...
Much of the food ~s rather than excites...
It ~d him to talk to her.
VERB: V n, V, it V n to-inf
6.
You use ~ in expressions such as as she ~s, whatever you ~, and anything he ~s to indicate that someone can do or have whatever they want.
Women should be free to dress and act as they ~...
Isabel can live where she ~s.
PHRASE: PHR after v
7.
If you ~ is sometimes used as a very polite and formal way of attracting someone’s attention or of asking them to do something.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you ~. Miss Taylor’s going to play for us...
CONVENTION politeness
8.
You say ‘~ yourself’ to indicate in a rather rude way that you do not mind or care whether the person you are talking to does a particular thing or not. (INFORMAL)
‘Do you mind if I wait?’ I asked. Melanie shrugged: ‘Please yourself.’
CONVENTION feelings