W artykule BBC

[karul.nowy]

o specjalnej jednostce policji paryskiej spotkalem sie po raz pierwszy z takim zwrotem "It was a tough ask", w znaczeniu "It was a difficult request".

Pomylka to czy "poetic licence"? Moze po prostu mialo byc "task"?

[1amazon]

Nie, tu mamy przyklad swiadomego uzycia czasownika jako rzeczownika.

'It's a big ask, but can you get it done by tomorrow?' = wiem ze prosze o duzo/ nie bedzie to latwe/ wiele wymagam ale ...

[rednelo]

Chyba ani jedno ani drugie. Wyraz ASK może w mowie potocznej być użyty w funkcji rzeczownika (koniecznie z przymiotnikiem), np.: A BIG ASK, A TOUGH ASK. Znaczenia oczywiście można łatwo się domyśleć.

Pozdrawiam,

Jacek
Zapraszam na www.pimpmyenglish.pl

[republican]

Ta wlasciwosc angielskiego gdzie mozna uzyc Verb jako Noun musiala byc wzieta pod uwage podczas projektowania Apollo

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Apollo_DSKY_interface.svg--

Takie te ciarachy tworde, trza by stoc i walic w morde.

[bunkum]

This deviant ask is pretty repulsive, with or without an adjective.

[republican]

Yes, very inelegant.

[bunkum]

> Yes, very inelegant.

Inelegant is wearing blue jeans to a black-tie gala event.
Here we are talking father of the bride wearing pajamas to his daughter's wedding party.

[claratrueba]

Look here:
www.thefreedictionary.com/ask
There are two examples of "ask" used as a noun (below the blue line). I have seen and heard both "big ask" and "tough ask" a couple of times. It was used purposedly to indicate the informal nature of the request. In the above mentioned sentence the intention could have been exactly the same."Request" would have been used in case of formal "request for cooperation/assistance etc. as this word is typical to such documents. In case, however, that action was a consequence of friendly, informal (clandestine?) cooperation of special units "ask" pictures that perfectly.

[bunkum]

>"Request" would have been used in case of formal "request for cooperation/assistance etc. as this word is typical to such documents. In case, however, that action was a consequence of friendly, informal (clandestine?) cooperation of special units "ask" pictures that perfectly.

In case you don't know, there is a world of difference between in the case of... and in case.
Second, it's typical of... and not typical to.
Third, the entire sentence "In case, however,..." is pretty much jumbled up.
Fourth, the nounified ask is hideous and perfectly pictures nothing at all.