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Sometimes while I am watching movies or YouTube videos I hear phrases like "Explain me what it is" or "Describe me the dish".

I feel that those phrases sound a bit unidiomatic to me. Are those phrases correct?

If so, are there other verbs that skip the preposition "to"?

Michael Frost
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    They are unidiomatic. They're a giveaway (a shibboleth) that it's a non-native speaker of English. In my experience, "explain me" is endemic to speakers of Indian English; it may reflect a feature of their native language (as dropping articles does for Slavic speakers of English). Don't use these constructions. – Dan Bron Oct 21 '18 at 17:52
  • Either it's a non-native speaker of you are not hearing the "to" in "explain to me". – Hot Licks Oct 21 '18 at 17:54
  • Both these verbs take an indirect object. With many of these a preposition is optional: "Read (to) me a story", "Do (for) me a favour", "Don't forget to write (to) me". In other cases like your two examples, no. Why? I don't know. – Zebrafish Oct 21 '18 at 18:17
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    Possible duplicate of Which one is correct? "Explain me" or "Explain to me"? – user 66974 Oct 21 '18 at 18:42
  • Consider that most people are lazy in their speech, but some lazier than others. It takes considerable effort to say "Explain to me ...", but is much easier (and more natural sounding) to say "Explain tuh me ..." From there it's just a short step to "Explain duh me ..." or "Explain t'me ..." The "duh" or "t'" sound is very easy to say and very easy to shorten almost (but not quite) into nonexistence. It's actually harder to say "Explain me" than it is to say "Explain d'me", so it's rare that the remnants of "to" are completely eliminated, just chopped down to near nothingness. – Hot Licks Oct 21 '18 at 19:14
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    @HotLicks This concept that there exist "lazy speakers" has apparently gone viral; the pathogen is spreading out of control. People who say "explain me" are not taking shortcuts; they're taking the wrong path, misled by signs in their own language. If there are native speakers who use it in their dialect, it is just that: their dialect. Not "lazy". – Dan Bron Oct 21 '18 at 19:40
  • @DanBron - You miss the point. They feel that they are saying "Explain to me", they're just not making an effort to enunciate clearly. – Hot Licks Oct 21 '18 at 20:02
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    No, that doesn't actually happen. – Dan Bron Oct 21 '18 at 20:03
  • @DanBron - So you're a mind reader? – Hot Licks Oct 21 '18 at 22:59
  • @DanBron I heard it from native speakers that's why I was confused, I heard it couple of times in Gordon Ramsay hell's kitchen. I also heard it in a video of two people arguing(They are native English speakers). I always try my best to speak proper English, I also avoid abbreviation chatting. I find that it ruins the beauty of English. Thanks for your clarification, it's much appreciated. – Michael Frost Oct 22 '18 at 18:20
  • @MichaelFrost My best guess is you misheard the native speakers. These constructs really aren’t used in any widely-used dialect I’m aware of. – Dan Bron Oct 22 '18 at 18:22
  • @DanBron No they definitely omitted it, but I guess it's only natural to do so when they're angry. I heard them say it with and without a to in the same conversation, I guess anger does that. – Michael Frost Oct 22 '18 at 18:35
  • @MichaelFrost If you can find a link or two to a video that would be awesome. – Dan Bron Oct 22 '18 at 18:36
  • Word Reference forums also has a discussion of explain me. It carries a Spanish-English tag and seems to identify this with Spanish speakers. – Phil Sweet Dec 11 '18 at 15:36
  • There is a feature of Southern English called Southern Presentational Dative (here's you a lunch, there's you the door - don't let it hit you on the way out). It's possible to use the OP's samples in a presentational way. "Explain me this diagram" or "describe me this person". These would be unexceptional in much of the South. The presentational dative is very productive. And it seems to bleed over into some nonpresentational situations that feature demonstrative words commonly used to invoke presentation. – Phil Sweet Dec 11 '18 at 17:16

1 Answers1

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Are those phrases correct?

No. They are unidiomatic.

Correct:

Explain what it is to me.

Describe the dish to me.

Are there other verbs that skip the preposition “to”?

Yes. A lot of verbs that take both a direct object and an indirect object, allow the indirect object to appear first, without the preposition “to” (or sometimes “for”). That construct is called the dative alternation.

The term “alternation” suggests that the construct with the direct object first, followed by “to” (or sometimes “for”) + the indirect object, is the “standard” construct.

But when the stress in more on the direct object than on the indirect object, and when the indirect object is short (such as a simple personal pronoun or a name), I would say that the dative alternation constuct is the preferred form.

Examples:

Show me the money. (also correct: Show the money to me.)

Give her the toy. (also correct: Give the toy to her.)

Lend him some change. (also correct: Lend some change to him.)

Tell us the truth. (also correct: Tell the truth to us.)

Ask me anything. (also correct: Ask anything to me.)

Read them a story. (also correct: Read a story to them.)

Write him a letter. (also correct: Write a letter to him.)

Teach him a lesson. (also correct: Teach a lesson to him.)

Promise her the moon. (also correct: Promise the moon to her.)

Do me a favour. (also correct: Do a favour for me.)

Make me a sandwich. (also correct: Make a sandwich for me.)

Buy her a ring. (also correct: Buy a ring for her.)

The dative alternation constuct does not work with all verbs that take both a direct object and an indirect object. It’s unidiomatic to use it with the verbs announce, attribute, confess, convey, declare, dedicate, deliver, describe, explain, introduce, mention, narrate, present, propose, recommend, refer, return, reveal, say, sell, submit, suggest, transfer, …

(Or with the verbs accustom, answer, ascribe, compare, condemn, confine, contribute, exhibit, liken, …)

Counterexamples:

People might feel differently about some of these verbs. For instance, Jonathan Swift wrote to rev. dr. Thomas Sheridan:

If your worship will please to explain me this rebus, …

And Jordan Belfort, the Wolf of Wall Street, challenges a few audience members:

Sell me this pen.

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