The phrase "touch base" is often used to mean to make contact or to catch up with someone. In terms of its spelling, the first word "touch" is spelled with a "t" sound followed by a "uh" sound pronounced with the schwa symbol /ə/. The second word "base" is pronounced with a "b" sound followed by the "ey" sound pronounced with the long "a" symbol /eɪ/ and ends with a "s" sound. Thus, the IPA transcription for "touch base" would be /tʌtʃ beɪs/.
The phrase "touch base" is predominantly used in informal contexts and derives its meaning from the world of sports, particularly baseball. It refers to the act of a runner briefly touching a base in order to remain safe or advance their position. In a broader sense, the expression has been adopted in everyday language to convey a similar notion of brief communication or connection.
The term "touch base" is mainly used in business or personal settings to describe the act of getting in contact with someone in order to briefly check in, catch up, or exchange information. It typically implies a quick and informal conversation to ensure that both parties are up to date or to re-establish contact. This can be achieved through a phone call, email, text message, or a face-to-face meeting.
The concept of "touching base" is rooted in the idea of maintaining or reinforcing a connection with someone, often after a period of little or no communication. It serves as a tool for individuals to stay informed, resolve pending matters, or simply to touch on a topic briefly before moving on to other issues. The phrase is often characterized by its efficiency and brevity, with an emphasis on keeping the conversation concise and to the point.
In summary, "touching base" refers to the act of making contact in order to touch upon an issue, check in, or exchange information briefly. It retains its origins from sports, evoking the image of a runner briefly touching a base, and has been adopted in a variety of contexts to signify a quick and informal connection.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The phrase "touch base" originated from baseball, where players have to physically touch each base in order to score a run. The term was first used in a figurative sense and began to be used in business and informal contexts in the mid-20th century. It refers to making a brief connection or communication with someone, similar to the act of touching a base in baseball.