That's not how English works, right?

I don’t think it’s meant to be ‘prose-like.’ To me it’s written in a way to simulate how someone might sound if they started talking and then before they fully spoke a thought pops in their head, they pause and then refocus their statement into a question of surprise. Basically someone doing a double-take while midway through speaking. The comma is just showing the halt that happens. It don’t believe it’s really meant to be perfectly grammatical. :man_shrugging:

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Doing the Lord’s work. Bless.

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Think the point is, a comma is a pause for breath, while an ellipsis is a pause for thought. :slightly_smiling_face:

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like @rever4217 said, it’s not really a fuzzy area, although they all convey a different tone usually when said which helps distinguish them (i found myself thinking harder than usual when i read them all side by side, they often come form different contexts.)

I usually hear 'it’s not like you to X" in a more concerned or caring manner, usually someone has noticed an abnormality in someone else’s behaviour and is wondering if they’re okay/ why there was a change.
eg. (i chose a very out-there example bc i am vv tired now, appologies)" What’s going on mate, it’s not like you to book a hotel room for your first date."

“it’s not like you X” is usually sarcastic meaning “you’re not supposed to do X” and sometimes implying ''don’t do X because X is too far/much". usually with the ‘duh, are you stupid tone’, but sometimes reassuring.
eg. “it’s not like you book a hotel room for your first date.”

“it’s not like you’re Xing” is sarcastic too, but more reassuring often I hear it used if someone’s overthinking a situation, like ''relax mate it’s not like you’re Xing". often exaggerated.
eg. “i’m not rich enough to ask her out” “relax mate, it’s not like you’re booking a hotel room for your first date. Just go to the park or something.”

Sorry, this ended up longer than i meant it to, i hope it made sense. Just my 2 cents.

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Holy shit I just reread this thread and it really must’ve been late for me. Trust me, I speak perfect English but for some reason that completely went over my head. It isn’t like me to make mistakes like this :sweat:

I feel really stupid now.

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Don’t worry too much about it. We call it fobbing out over here. Language is fluid like that. :wink:

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I’m late to this party but I think the OP is using like to mean “as if” in contrast to how like is being used in the context sentence to mean “out of character” .
Am I missing something?

Happens to the best of us.

Oh no my mistake was just so stupid that it’s even hard to pick up on. For some reason the sentence I mentioned sounded weird in my head at the time. Shit happens I guess…

Think the issue was you were putting the stress on the wrong word when you said it in your head. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Definitely. I was putting the emphasis on ‘you’, hence the other ‘fixes’ I gave.

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It made for an entertaining thread!

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