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hijacking

English translation: disruption and diversion (refocusing) of attention

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:hijacking
Selected answer:disruption and diversion (refocusing) of attention
Entered by: Yvonne Gallagher

02:58 Nov 8, 2020
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / hijacking
English term or phrase: hijacking
The protesters grab the attention, throwing flour bombs at the president's car and later hijacking an official reception.

I'm looking to get the whole sentence "hijacking an official reception".

The situation is about a group of people protesting against the visit of high profile figure to their country.

Thanks in advance,
S.J
Canada
Local time: 05:33
disrupting the reception so focus is on hijacking/hijackers
Explanation:
so reception can't proceed as it should.

It has the meaning of 2 a) b) below where the organisers lose control of the reception for their purposes as the hijackers have manged to disrupt it so much

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/hijacked
2.
a. To take control of (something) without permission or authorization and use it for one's own purposes: dissidents who hijacked the town council; spammers who hijacked a computer network.
b. To steal or appropriate for oneself: hijacked her story and used it in his own book.

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Note added at 2 days 23 mins (2020-11-10 03:22:40 GMT) Post-grading
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Not as common as hijacking a plane but not that uncommon either.

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Note added at 2 days 7 hrs (2020-11-10 10:54:53 GMT) Post-grading
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it is quite often used with the meaning of disruption or interruption so that attention is focused in a different direction (or onto the hijacker).
If you google "Hijack a meeting" there are lots of examples e.g.

https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/resource/managing-the-m...

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/hijack
Selected response from:

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 10:33
Grading comment
Thanks a lot.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +3breaking into and taking control of
David Hollywood
5 +2disrupting the reception so focus is on hijacking/hijackers
Yvonne Gallagher


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
breaking into and taking control of


Explanation:
I would say

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Note added at 22 mins (2020-11-08 03:21:24 GMT)
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or at least trying to take control

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Note added at 23 mins (2020-11-08 03:22:26 GMT)
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bit ambiguous

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Note added at 52 mins (2020-11-08 03:50:51 GMT)
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and really hard to interpret

David Hollywood
Local time: 06:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 116
Notes to answerer
Asker: Could it be take the highlight of the official reception? I mean make the public focus on them instead of the main event. Thank you.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anastasia Andriani
2 hrs
agree  philgoddard
3 hrs
agree  Mark Robertson
4 hrs
agree  Sheila Wilson
8 hrs
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: I think it goes further. Asker has got the meaning of this in their question to you
10 hrs
disagree  Daryo: clue: "throwing flour bombs at the president's car" // these are attention seekers bent on doing a PR stunt, not deadly fanatics => "taking control of" makes no sense.
1 day 21 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
disrupting the reception so focus is on hijacking/hijackers


Explanation:
so reception can't proceed as it should.

It has the meaning of 2 a) b) below where the organisers lose control of the reception for their purposes as the hijackers have manged to disrupt it so much

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/hijacked
2.
a. To take control of (something) without permission or authorization and use it for one's own purposes: dissidents who hijacked the town council; spammers who hijacked a computer network.
b. To steal or appropriate for oneself: hijacked her story and used it in his own book.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 23 mins (2020-11-10 03:22:40 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Not as common as hijacking a plane but not that uncommon either.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 7 hrs (2020-11-10 10:54:53 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

it is quite often used with the meaning of disruption or interruption so that attention is focused in a different direction (or onto the hijacker).
If you google "Hijack a meeting" there are lots of examples e.g.

https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/resource/managing-the-m...

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/hijack


Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 10:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 659
Grading comment
Thanks a lot.
Notes to answerer
Asker: It is not common to use the word "hijacking" in such a context, right?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Well explained!
1 hr
  -> Thanks!
agree  Daryo: in this ST, the point of "hijacking" an official reception was most likely in grabbing for themselves media attention, not a literal "hijacking" as in "taking hostage all persons present" as would be the "hijacking" of a plane.
1 hr
  -> Thanks!
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