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sell my soul

Date: Dec 15 2005

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“There are just certain things I’m not going to sell my soul for.”

Mary J. Blige, talking about her career in an interview with MTV.

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

to do something you do not like in order to get money, fame or power; to do something that makes you uncomfortable or unhappy in order to get a reward

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

There is a popular story in America about Robert Johnson, one of the greatest blues musicians of all time. The story says that Robert Johnson wanted to be the best musician in the world. So one night he went to the “crossroads” – the intersection of Highways 61 & 49 in Mississippi – and offered to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for great musical abilities. The devil made him into a great musician, and Robert Johnson sold his soul.

To sell your soul means to give up whatever is important or valuable to you in exchange for wealth or popularity. When you sell your soul, you do something that you do not like doing because you think you will be happy in the end.

In the example above, Mary J. Blige says that she would not sell her soul as a young musician to become famous. Her managers wanted her to change her name and lie about her age, but she said no. She didn’t sell her soul.

Have you sold your soul? Are you doing the type of work you’ve always wanted to do, or have you sold your soul for a job that pays well but does not make you happy?

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

“I don’t like advertising, but I’ve been offered a high-paying job with a big company. I’m going to sell my soul. I have no choice.”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

	be absolutely submitted to someone or addict to something. by xinbayaer
	Take a risk by talitapb
	She's not going to give up sth important to get sth less imp. by Lindsay
	"There are just certain things i'm not going to give my life for". sell my soul= give my life (time) for. Zunnich by Zunnich
	do sth unwilling by xiehaibing
	it's means do something that's go against she's wish or principle. by laurahappy
	She is not willing to abandon her principles, her values for certain things. by nbellamy64
	Mary wants to say that there are some things that are worthless to worry about doing so she's not making the extra effort for such unimportant or inadecuated stuff in her career. by Jocelyn
	She definitively won't do things are against what she believes in. by dorita
	it means sth doesnt worth to lose ur personality for by hojat541
	to do something that may be evil or reluctantly to do in real heart by steflorence
	do every thing for gaining what you want like money, fame,etc. and maybe doing bad things. by hossein99
	I think sell my soul means do something that is not out of yourself , by lurong

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Comments

Withems92

United States

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