strange
When using "strange" to mean unusual, it often describes something that feels slightly wrong or mysterious. When used to mean unfamiliar, it refers to people or places you have never encountered before. In this sense, it is similar to the word "foreign," but less about nationality and more about personal experience.
💬Casual Conversation
🎬Tuesday afternoon, Karen is at a PTA meeting while Eleanor is at home browsing Facebook.
Eleanor Smith
KAREN WHY IS THERE A STRANGE MAN IN YOUR PROFILE PICTURE?
Karen Smith
Omg stop. That's just the new gym owner, I'm totally over this.
💡
Eleanor's use of caps lock reflects her technological illiteracy and alarm. The word 'strange' is central here as it describes a person who is unfamiliar/unknown to Eleanor, triggering her overbearing nature. Karen's response uses the slang 'totally over this' to express her exasperation with her mother-in-law's interference.
Meanings
adjective
unusual or surprising; difficult to understand
"I heard a strange noise coming from the attic."
adjective
not known or familiar
"It is always daunting to move to a strange city where you know no one."