VOOZH about

URL: https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/sort-out.3393419/

⇱ sort out | WordReference Forums

Menu
Install the app
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.

sort out

Pino76

Senior Member
FY for NotAllowingMeToDeleteMyAccount
"If you can sort out the drink for the party, I'll take care of the food."
"India and Nepal have sorted out their trade and security dispute."

Collins says:
If you sort out a problem or the details of something, you do what is necessary to solve the problem or organize the details.
​
I was wondering if you could tell me, is this expression used mainly by the British speakers or is it used in the US as well?
I see this in books written by British authors. I don't hear "sort out" used in that same sense in the USA.
I see this in books written by British authors. I don't hear "sort out" used in that same sense in the USA.
I suspected this was the case, thank you!
I suspected this was the case, thank you!

Wait for some more replies. One response does not necessarily represent a reasonable sampling.
I think I've heard something very similar in the U.S., in the alternative form "get X sorted out" (meaning "take care of X"). But I suspect it's more common in British speech than in ours.
"If you can sort out the drink for the party, I'll take care of the food."
I don't hear "sort out" used in that same sense in the USA.

So what would AE use in that example instead of 'sort out'?
“Take care of…”

If you will take care of the drinks, I’ll take care of the food.
“Take care of…”

If you will take care of the drinks, I’ll take care of the food.
What about the second sentence, "India and Nepal..."? This sentence seems much formal and "to take care of" seems a little informal.
The second sentence would not be unusual in AE with sorted out. It's used with disputes all the time.

It's only the first sentence that would sound odd. There is disentangling going on in the political resolution of that problem. There is nothing mixed up in planning a party that needs supplies. The job of getting them just needs to be handled (taken care of) by someone.
“Settled”.

“India and Nepal have settled…”


Or “resolved”.

“India and Nepal have resolved …”


“Resolved” is the (slightly) more formal option.


Note: All my suggestions are given from the American English point of view.
I think this is the key.

- You do what is necessary 1) to solve the problem or 2) organize the details.

In American English we use it for the red(1), but not for the blue(2).
I don’t know whether the same sort of thing is said in AE, but in the UK it would be very natural to say something like “We really need to sort out this mess”.
Yes, that would be fine. I would take that as the red meaning. Untangling messes is idiomatic for us. We don't use it for referring to routine details and tasks though.

"If you can sort out the situation with the drinks for the party
We might say it in this sort of situation, where this is a specific known issue. Maybe the supplier we contracted said our credit card was refused, for instance. It's an actual unanticipated problem to resolve.
Last edited:
. It's an actual unanticipated problem to resolve.
Ah, but “resolve” was one of my word-choices. Do you find it an acceptable one? (I do agree with the distinction you are making.)
Yes, when problems need resolving we use it. When tasks need completing we don't. It's not a synonym for organize for us.
Yes, when problems need resolving we use it. When tasks need completing we don't. It's not a synonym for organize for us.
I agree.
Back
Top Bottom