come away with solutions

Leonardo   Fri Nov 16, 2007 9:45 pm GMT
"Attendees should come away with solutions."

In the sentence above, I understand the attendees should bring solutions. Right?

But the CALD states:

come away phrasal verb
If something comes away from something else, it becomes separated from it:
I just opened the drawer as usual and the handle came away in my hand.
The paper has started to come away from the walls.

Is it other phrasal verb or just common usage?

Thanks!
Guest   Fri Nov 16, 2007 9:51 pm GMT
It is just bad English. They probably meant "go away with solutions". That is, they will learn solutions when they attend and leave with them.
furrykef   Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:58 pm GMT
I wouldn't say "go away with solutions" either, but I do agree with Guest's interpretation. I have heard things like "come away with solutions" from time to time, but it does sound rather awkward.
K. T.   Sat Nov 17, 2007 2:28 am GMT
I've heard this as well. How about "leave with solutions"? Does that help you understand, Leonardo?
Guest   Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:05 am GMT
I think "come away" is just a business/political term that you often hear. People can "come away" from a meeting/session/course/conference, with a better understanding of something.

Example: "Although no concrete progress was made, both sides came away from the meeting with a better understanding of issues separating them."
furrykef   Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:55 am GMT
I think what was awkward about it in the original sentence wasn't really the expression "come away" itself, but the way it was used... I think what's bothering me about it is that it wasn't used with "from".
MRB   Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:37 pm GMT
Not sure how you could use "from" there, actually.

I read it as an advertisement.

"After our FANTASTIC seminar, attendees should come away with solutions!"

Same as

"After our FANTASTIC seminar, attendees will know it ALL."

I think the problem is "should". It suggests an imperative on the part of the attendees. I like the imperative on success to be on those who took the money for the seminar:)
Uriel   Sun Nov 25, 2007 11:26 pm GMT
"Come away" isn't bad English, it's just an idiom for "leave". And it's pretty common, so you should probably get used to it. And "to come away with" has slightly more connotations than to simply "leave"; it means that you have gone through an experience and gained something as a result of it. Similar to the related term "take away", when used in such instances as "I want you to take away with you a sense of responsibility". (In that instance you really have to pay particular attention to context, because the other meaning of "take away" is "remove", which would be a totally different meaning!)
Guest   Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:37 am GMT
Wow, Uriel for US president! She does indeed have a mind !!
furrykef   Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:46 am GMT
<< Not sure how you could use "from" there, actually. >>

I'd say something like, "Attendees should come away from the conference with solutions." Perhaps using "from" isn't grammatically required, but it does sound better to me for some reason.

<< I think the problem is "should". It suggests an imperative on the part of the attendees. >>

I don't read it as an imperative, but I see how it can be read that way.

- Kef