Tagged Questions
3
votes
1answer
127 views
“I have done every bad thing in the good book” - what does it actually mean?
This question might be very specific to a situation in "Revolution" but I cannot understand this sentence.
From my understanding, he was saying that he has done everything that the book (he ...
0
votes
0answers
64 views
What does “though” mean in these sentences?
I knew these are American English sentences, and they are informal. However, I would like to know what exactly it means, or it simply means nothing, and people merely want to add something unnecessary ...
2
votes
0answers
82 views
What does 'trout-shouldered' mean?
In an episode of the television show Archer one character refers to another as being "trout-shouldered."
“This pathetic, trout-shouldered excuse for a boom operator is Chet Manly."
What might this ...
1
vote
1answer
114 views
I can't make heads or tails of this paragraph. It's a complex pun. (Warning: mildly “bad language” and urban lingo.)
Here it is:
It's your brother's MR. T PUPPET, which of course is kept in the apartment with a sense of profound humorous irony. But as usual with your BRO's exploits, this is no ordinary irony, or ...
-1
votes
1answer
90 views
Meaning of 'take it to the hoes'
I came across the following sentence:
You can just take it to the hoes on Broadway if you need to get your freak on.
And not only can I not understand the phrase 'take it to the hoes' but I also ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
What are “shrewd turns”?
In John Webster's play, The Duchess of Malfi, Antonio says of the Duke:
He never pays debts unless they be shrewd turns,
And those he will confess that he doth owe.
I really don't understand ...
0
votes
1answer
47 views
What does “put the top down” mean? [closed]
Well, I have been searching the meaning of "put the top down", but I didn't find anything useful. Let me show you a little bit the context.
I'm gonna put the top down
I'm gonna talk about old times
...
0
votes
1answer
61 views
What are metal pans and covers of a staircase?
What are metal pans and its covers of a staircase and what do they look like as mentioned in the following account?
My boss and I were carrying 160lb sliding glass doors up an unfinished staircase ...
1
vote
2answers
76 views
Difference between “technically possible” and “physically possible”?
Do you think these expressions can be used interchangeably? I find little or no differene between the two meanings. Does this question need more context?
-1
votes
1answer
67 views
“when all is said and done”, finger should be “level” [closed]
Person A tried to catch a falling patio door and ended up losing a fingertip, a nail, and a broken finger joint as the door slammed his fingers against the dock plate. He went to the ER afterwards and ...
2
votes
1answer
82 views
What does it mean to “offer a plea for a caution”? [closed]
This is a sentence in a letter to request waiving a fine. The sentence is:
I offer the following plea for a caution in this instance.
Also, it seems to me that caution is more correct than a ...
-2
votes
1answer
64 views
The ironic correlation of the words “Ineffable” and “Circumlocution”
Both the word "Ineffable" and "Circumlocution" are contradictory by definition. For context;
first The very existence of the words shows defies its definition; so should one say "indescribable" as ...
-1
votes
1answer
69 views
What does the meaning of the phrase “couldn't be more”?
I have a question about the word "optimistic" from the Peter Klein's resignation letter. He wrote:
One noteworthy characteristic of Finance is the regularity of its
rhythm – month end, quarter ...
2
votes
2answers
366 views
“10 Commonly Misunderstood Words In English”
We have all probably misunderstood words and then used them in the wrong context from time to time, so a little update might come in handy. This infographic from Grammar called
10 Commonly ...
1
vote
1answer
57 views
Meaning of “conferred obligation” and “conferring obligation”
What does “a conferred obligation” mean? Given that confer has a positive sense to it as a transitive verb, could it be used to refer to an obligation which is favorable for the obligor or considered ...
2
votes
1answer
103 views
Meaning of the German “ersatz” in English [closed]
As a native German I know some well-known uses of German phrases, but I was
astonished that a book from a British reporter I am reading today used "ersatz"
without explanation.
Is the word "ersatz" ...
1
vote
2answers
79 views
“cool” used to describe a person
I was reading the about me page on an author of a poker strategy website and on one of the passages he describes himself as a pretty cool guy:
This is the page where you get to read a little more ...
-1
votes
1answer
123 views
What is the meaning of this cartoon by Dr. Seuss? [closed]
I don't quite understand what the author was trying to say in this picture. Could anyone explain?
http://libraries.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dswenttowar/#ark:bb4813149f
6
votes
3answers
337 views
Why does “I am in your debt” mean the opposite of what it suggests?
I don't understand why if someone says:
"I am in your debt"
It seems to mean the opposite of the literal meaning.
For example, the person saying this says that (s)he is in the "debt" of the ...
1
vote
1answer
63 views
What is the difference, if any, between “divine providence” and “Providence” (with a capital p)?
ODO defines providence as:
providence: [mass noun] 1 the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual
power: they found their trust in divine providence to be a source of
comfort
...
0
votes
2answers
144 views
Does the noun “stable” have meanings other than “place for animals”? [closed]
I came across someone noting that an English term for the training area of Sumo wrestlers is "sumo stable", and that "stable" is usually a word used for horses. She found it a bit funny. I'm not sure ...
-3
votes
1answer
56 views
What does “cross” mean in the phrase “cross and crabby”?
What does cross mean in the phrase "cross and crabby"?
Crabby means bad-tempered and unpleasant (Oxford Learner's Dictionary).
2
votes
1answer
75 views
Is it “backward/forward” or “backwards/forwards”? [duplicate]
Can backward and forward be used interchangeably with backwards and forwards, or is there some particular situation in which one pair is consistently used over the other?
3
votes
3answers
137 views
What is the definition of a word? [closed]
I'm wondering what the minimal requirement for a word to be an actual word is. My opinion is that a word is a word if it can be understood and defined by everyone who hears it in conversation.
For ...
1
vote
2answers
47 views
Meaning of inbred in context
This is the line in context from preface of the book Concrete Mathematics:
Abstract mathematics was becoming inbred and losing touch with
reality;mathematical education needed a concrete ...
12
votes
1answer
319 views
What does “Kalipedia” mean?
Kalipedia, he prophesied, would soon be generally adopted..
- James Joyce, Ulysses
I cannot find any information about this word! It doesn't help that there appears to be a Spanish online ...
-1
votes
3answers
215 views
What does “by way of” mean?
I was watching a TV show, and one man asked another where he was from. The response was "Pennsylvania by way of Illinois", and I can't really understand what it means in this context.
Edit: ...
1
vote
3answers
640 views
What is the meaning of “six ways from Sunday”? [closed]
This is a line from the book Test Driven Development by Kent Beck:
Fortunately, we are well rested and relaxed and unlikely to make
mistakes, which is why we will go in teeny-tiny steps, ...
9
votes
3answers
385 views
What does “Sleep through the Second Coming” mean?
There is the following statement in Jeffery Archer’s fiction “Kane & Abel,” in which William Kane, one of the two heroes looks at his wife sleeping soundly on bed unaware of his big problem:
...
1
vote
1answer
75 views
Meaning of seeming contradiction
This is a paragraph from Kent Beck's book on Test Driven Development:
Clean code that works – now. This is the seeming contradiction that lies behind much of the pain of programming. Test-driven ...
4
votes
1answer
75 views
Fall Hard For Something
I am trying to find the right definition of "hard" in this piece of writing:
newspaper
Looking for a tranquil hideaway after years as a paparazzi magnet, Mr. Frazier bought the single-level ...
15
votes
4answers
388 views
Meaning of “medicine bringeth double care when the malady is past cure”
It's a proverb from John Lyly 'Euphues: the Anatomy of Wit, does anybody know what does it mean?
Search the wound while it is green; too late cometh the salve when the sore
festereth, and the ...
1
vote
2answers
86 views
What is the connotation or meaning of “exclusive thinking”?
How should I interpret the expression "exclusive thinking"?
The expression "exclusive thinking" is one I've seen in criticism against some views or opinions that are called "exclusive thinking".
Is ...
13
votes
2answers
284 views
Meaning of “cry creek” and “cock of the game”
I'm reading an excerpt from John Lyly (1554–1606), and there are some phrases that I can't find anything about on the net or elsewhere. Here is the context:
Though Cutio be as hot as a toast, yet ...
3
votes
2answers
202 views
Meaning of word “ford” in combination with “hurdle”
First and foremost I'm not from an English speaking country hence the question.
When reading Wikipedia's article about Dublin it says that the meaning of original Irish name for Dublin is town of ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Raising a letter of credit
What does raise mean in the following sentence?
The Letter of Credit to be raised as soon as possible after the Contract signature.
Does it mean collecting the money? Or something else?
1
vote
0answers
95 views
What would be the best answer for ( happy birth day wish you all the best )? [closed]
What would be the best answer for ( happy birth day to you , wish you all the best )?
0
votes
0answers
163 views
Poetics of the Word Beautiful and its Implications [closed]
Background:
Let us say that a couple is looking at the sunset. The man turns to his wife and says, "Beautiful." That is, although he could be referring to his wife, he is referring to the sunset.
...
1
vote
2answers
90 views
Putting the sentence in the simpler form
Can somebody help me to understand what this sentence is trying to reveal?
"So these photos are far more than proxies for a single moment, or even a specific trip. They're also ways for us to ...
4
votes
1answer
134 views
Why are 'preterite presents' called so?
While reading about 'defective verbs' on Wikipedia, I came across this term – preterite present verbs.
The most commonly recognized defective verbs in English are auxiliary verbs — the class of ...
2
votes
4answers
119 views
help interpreting this line [closed]
I am translating a TED video and I came across this line. Would somebody help me putting this line in simpler expanded form?
"You know, it's remarkable how universal the gesture is of handing your ...
0
votes
0answers
93 views
Whats difference between “insert” and “paste”? [closed]
What's the difference between those two?
Could you give an example where you should use one and cannot use the other, and explain why?
These two words are used in computer programs, but the ...
2
votes
2answers
212 views
What's the difference between “sea port” and “maritime port”?
Road transport is not the only sector concerned. LNG is also used in
maritime and inland waterway transport. The Commission therefore
proposes the installation of fuel stations in leading ...
0
votes
1answer
221 views
Meaning of “as close as you can get with safe sex”
What does "as close as you can get with safe sex" mean? I read this sentence in "Hannibal" from Thomas Harris, the original is
Our informant's close to the family situation, like, he's very ...
1
vote
3answers
85 views
What's the meaning of “straight” here?
Thats some straight blockbuster movie sh-t. They deserve it if they pulled it off.
What's the meaning of straight here? The comment was made in response to a news article on a bank robbery in ...
1
vote
2answers
207 views
“I love you for who you are” vs. “I love you as you are” vs. “I love you for what you are” [closed]
I love you for who you are.
I came across the line from a BBC Radio’s drama, and wondered what’s the difference from saying “I love you as you are,” or “I love you for what you are.” Would you ...
1
vote
2answers
112 views
Meaning and etymology of “down with”
I've searched a lot and found out that down with as a slang phrase means "being in an agreement with something". On the other hand, I know that it also means "death upon something".
So in a sentence ...
2
votes
1answer
219 views
What does “principle” mean here?
What's the meaning of principle in this definition of soul from Dictionary.com as in body and soul?
the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity ...
2
votes
2answers
114 views
Meaning of “hammer a socket on it and pop it off”
In a discussion on a pick-up truck car wheel theft, one person gave an advice to the victim that he "should have bought some locking lugs". This advice was disapproved by someone else in the ...
0
votes
3answers
111 views
What's the meaning of “hit” here?
How do you define hit here in this comment, does it mean attack? This comment was made by a poster in response to a discussion on car wheel thefts.
New model Chevy rims are hot as f-k, every ...
