Reader question:
In this passage – President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is a man known for his surprising and often headline grabbing announcements but this latest one is extraordinary even by his standards. He's called on the left-wing Colombian FARC rebels to lay down their arms and release their hostages. It amounts to an all-out about-face in policy for the man who, only a few months ago, called on Colombia and the international community to stop branding the group a terrorist organization and instead recognize the FARC as a legitimate rebel army (BBC, June 9, 2008) – what does "about face" mean?
My comments:
About-face is not about the face, as in "losing face".
An about-face instead means a 180-degree change from the position of attention, hence in President Chavez's case a complete change in policy.
About-face is the same as about-turn, both originally a military term for turning around. If you look "face" up in the dictionary, you'll see one of its meanings as "be opposite". For example: They stood facing each other for a few minutes (Longman), meaning they stood opposite each other face-to-face, eye-to-eye.
My bedroom faces north, meaning that, well, I don't get any sun during the day if I get to stay in bed – not that I mind because I don't get to stay in bed during the day anyway.
Anyways, it is perhaps from "face" being "be opposite" that in the army, when a commander calls his men to turn around he shouts: "About face!" or "About turn!"
The terms are nowadays used everywhere of course to mark a total turn or change in position, direction, policy. Naturally, "about-face" and "about-turn" are the same as "turnabout", as in "a turnabout in public opinion", or "turnaround", as in "a turnaround in fortune".
Here are examples:
1. about-face (change in policy):
Central bank chiefs, including those in Britain, the euro zone and Canada, may follow the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, in an about-face, shifting toward supporting economic growth and away from fighting inflation.
- In an about-face, central banks may start cutting rates, International Herald Tribune, October 1, 2007.
2. about-turn (change in policy):
A headline: In about turn, Bush signs climate change bill
- The Guardian, December 20, 2007.
3. turn about (move the body to face another direction):
The short gentleman turned about towards Carrie, and she arose and came forward.
- Sister Carire, Theodore Dreiser.
4. turnabout (change of position):
In a major diplomatic defeat for the US, Britain broke ranks Wednesday and joined more than 100 nations in agreeing in principle to an international ban on cluster bombs, the small, insidious weapons that have killed thousands of civilians in the aftermath of battle...
Advocates of the ban said Britain's turnabout Wednesday broke open the doors and led to several other nations' dropping significant objections to the agreement.
- British turnabout key to cluster bomb ban, Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2008.
5. turn around (change for the better):
Another headline: Economy has turned around, but look for yellow flags (USA Today.com, February 1, 2004).
6. turnaround (change of fortune):
Swiss No. 1 Roger Federer in his bid to get over his humiliating defeat in the French Open final has flown to Halle and is hoping for aturnaround in the run-up to the third Grand Slam of the year – Wimbledon.
国际英语资讯:3 dead, more than a dozen injured after buses collide in New York
国际英语资讯:Third suspect arrested over London subway station blast
How honest are you? 你诚实吗?
HBO放大招啦!为防剧透《权游》要拍一堆假的大结局
昂山素季声讨若开邦侵犯人权的现象
美国政府机构需要加快数字化改革
国内英语资讯:26 elected as new legislators of Chinas Macao: preliminary results
国际英语资讯:DPRK condemns latest U.N. Security Council press statement
美文赏析:自律,才能带来真正的自由
国内英语资讯:China punishes 5,419 officials in frugality campaign
国际英语资讯:Finnish authorities to help promote Alipay
国内英语资讯:Premier Li hopes for Singapore support in high-speed railway
Latest 'endangered species' list published 最新“濒危物种”名单公布于众
国内英语资讯:New air route opens between China and Vietnam
跟人没话聊?这5个简单原则让你迅速摆脱尬聊
圣路易斯抗议持续第三天,警察逮捕80多人
有了这款便携式真伪鉴定仪,再也不用担心买到假包了
国内英语资讯:Xi, Trump talk upcoming China visit, Korean Peninsula over phone
国际英语资讯:Iranian senior officials strongly against Iraqi Kurdish independence vote
国际英语资讯:BOE governor says Brexit could lead to rising inflation in UK
国际英语资讯:Massive protests held in Japan to mark second anniversary of controversial security laws
国际英语资讯:Spotlight: U.S. Navy leaders urged to do better amid deadly ship collisions
体坛英语资讯:Real Madrid win on matchday 4 as Barca become clear leaders in La Liga
体坛英语资讯:Colombia forward Copete set for Santos return
澳洲帅哥穿西装跑马拉松 打破世界纪录
党的十九大将对党章进行适当修改[1]
国际英语资讯:Quake kills more than 100 people in central Mexico
王室第三胎引来民众反感!原因还得怪TA
国内英语资讯:China Focus: Xi stresses prevention, control of major risks
国内英语资讯:China Focus: CPC to amend party constitution