student asking question

I don't understand the phrase "For if by some minute chance you meet the challenge," in this scene. Is it an old English, perhaps?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

I wouldn't say it's necessarily "old English," but it's definitely a little dramatized. "by some minute chance" can be understood separately from "for if you meet the challenge," it basically means "by chance" or "by a small chance" - accidentally or casually. The placement of "for" in the beginning is what makes it more dramatic, but it just means "because" here. Lastly, "to meet a challenge" means to deal with it in the required way! Ex: Because if you get an A, I'll buy you ice cream. = For if you get an A, I'll buy you ice cream. => not super common or natural Ex: She met the challenge and beat us all at chess. Ex: Suzy, by some minute chance, do you have any chocolate?

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