Give it a go - Wordsmith.org

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My American colleague has been showing his young son such TV classics as 'Thomas the Tank Engine' and 'Andy Pandy'. Apparently in one episode of Andy Pandy, someone (I forgot to ask whether it was Andy Pandy himself or Looby Loo) uttered the sentence "I'll give it a go".

Although the proud father said he understood the expression from the context he also claimed never to have heard it before. Any comments from our North American contingent?

I've heard it aplenty.

Moi aussi. I'd say it's very common here, Bingley. Has your colleague lived outside the US for a very long time?

yep. heard it, and use it, often. and not just after I joined my western New England friends...

Quote:

yep. heard it, and use it, often. and not just after I joined my western New England friends...

Who you callin' western New England, son?

heh.

Very, very common leftpond expr

Me, too, although I learned it from my Irish father.

He grew up in Nebraska and then joined the Marines. He was in the Marines for 4 years (which presumably included some time abroad) and then lived in California for 10 or 11 years. He's been over here for about 3 1/2 years I believe.

grew up in Nebraska and never heard it? must have been in the urban Nebraska, like Lincoln or Omaha...

Although I've heard that version I'd be more likely to hear in these parts (and say) "I'll give it a whirl".