What does “for” mean in “want a clown for a dad”?
I’m watching Modern Family, and it’s the conversation of Cam and Mitchell
Mitchell: We need somebody to pump some life back into this party.
Cam: I got this.
I'll go in and turn on some music, bring out the cupcakes, pump up the bubble machine. Or Is that a roundabout way of saying a certain clown can come to the party?
Mitchell: I was wrong.
Every kid wants a clown for a dad.
So Cam wanted to play as a clown for his daughter but Mitchel didn’t want, and then he changed his mind.
Here, “every kid wants a clown for a dad”, what does “for” mean?
If possible, could you give me the definition from a dictionary?
Thank you.
Top Answer/Comment:
The word "for" has many meanings in English- "for" and "of" are perhaps two of the most overused and abused words, so it is understandable to have some confusion. Out of the several defintions and sub-definitions given at Merriam-Webster, I think we want 2a here:
2a : as being or constituting
// taken for a fool //eggs for breakfast
There are many things a kid would want his father to be, or qualities he would want his father to have. A father who is a clown or who can act like a clown when appropriate, is a nice kind of father to have.
상단 광고의 [X] 버튼을 누르면 내용이 보입니다