Have you ever heard somebody used the word “screams” in an unusual context in English?
A good example could be if Michelle were to say something to Lindsay like “I love your hair. It screams Julia Roberts!”
We’re going to look at what this means and how to use “screams” in this way, but to start with it means it shows similarities.
This is a common phrase and way to express things, and so we’re going to look at the right ways to use this and how this can be a very helpful phrase in the right context.
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Understanding How This Works
We are going to talk about this use of the word “scream” today, and this can be a fun word in the right context.
We did an episode about this word that you will want to check out for a good point of reference.
Shout It From The Rooftops! Learn The Difference Between Shout, Yell, Scream, and Squeal
So take the example above where it was said that Lindsay’s hair “screamed Julia Roberts” what does that mean exactly?
In this context, it means that her hair looks so much like Julia Roberts hair.
You will often use this in conversation to say that something screams something else, and you may hear this a lot.
This is to say that something is quite apparent or quite obvious in some way.
If we look at the actual definition of this you can really start to understand it.
Check out this link to get the formal definition– https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/screams
“. verb, informal To display or indicate the characteristics of (something) in a very patent, obvious, or unsubtle manner.”
Have you ever heard this used in conversation?
Is this something that you have wanted to say to somebody else?
So you see that this is all about something being rather obvious or evident, and that’s what we are focusing on today.
Looking At Some Examples
You may hear this used a lot on reality TV, perhaps about fashion or home improvement.
You are making a direct comparison to something, and so that’s what it works well for and therefore it shows up a lot in that sort of context.
It can also be used in a kind of humorous way for the most part, so you can look for that type of usage.
There are multiple uses for saying that something “screams” something else, and so these examples can help to illustrate that.
For example, if a room is completely ocean blue, someone might say “This room screams “The Little Mermaid.”
This is saying that it embodies it or mirrors it, or even that it reminds you of that because it has a lot of similarities.
Let’s look at a few additional examples so that you can start to see how you might use this in your conversations.
“Her voice screams Christina Aguilera, don’t you think?”
“His personality screams TV dad, right?”
So it can be used as a compliment, but it can also be used in a bit of a negative way as well.
You may also hear it used in a sarcastic way, or even as a way to insult somebody.
“Your makeup SCREAMS clown right now.”
“That essay SCREAMS laziness.”
It’s just saying something is obvious basically—and that can be a good thing or a bad thing.
Do you use this?
This gives some examples of ways to say something is obvious, and that can be really helpful.
It’s Critically Important That You Avoid These Redundancies In English
Let’s play with this a bit—for this can be humorous and you can actually have fun with it!
So you could say something sort of fun and sarcastic such as “What screams family vacation?”
Instead of answering the obvious things, you could say something like “a family fighting and turning the car around” or make up your own personal and humorous example.
Another fun example could be “What screams Full House? “ To those who know the show you could say “maybe a cheesy dad having a talk with his kid.” You could even say something even more personal here such as “Wow he screams Danny Tanner.”
So this is a GREAT way to make a joke, but it can be tongue in cheek, so just use it in the right context in the way it is intended.
Takeaway
This can be a great phrase for humor or even used as a regular commentary.
It can be used in a positive and informative way, or it can be used in a sarcastic or even negative way.
Be sure of the context before you use it, and then try it out in the right conversation.
See if you can hear this being used on reality tv shows as if often is—and then let us know of the instances where you hear it.
If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.
We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
