This tag is for questions about the meaning of a longer passage of English.
3
votes
1answer
98 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 ...
-2
votes
1answer
66 views
Meaning of “as it was” in context
What does it mean "as it was" in this context?
She was awakened by a shock, so sudden and severe that if Dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed she might have been hurt. As it was, the jar ...
1
vote
1answer
113 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 ...
0
votes
0answers
60 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 ...
0
votes
0answers
29 views
Meaning of “there to” in this sentence [closed]
Sentence:
Johnson said he expects tremendous Asian buying on dips and demand by
central banks there to more than offset fast-money-type selling by
Western financial institutions.
I'm ...
0
votes
4answers
340 views
Confusion with Use of “Though” [closed]
Today I came across this sentence:
Though I don't sell photos taken by me it still makes me feel good/appreciated/wanted
I want to know exactly what this sentence means. I assumed two possible ...
1
vote
0answers
77 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 ...
10
votes
5answers
20k views
Meaning and usage of “bite me”
I often come across the phrase bite me in many TV shows. What does it mean and is there a specific context in which this phrase can be used?
1
vote
1answer
3k views
What does “Knock on wood” mean?
From the dictionary, it looks like it's some kind of ritual one does for luck, but I still cannot figure out when one would really knock on wood.
1
vote
5answers
3k views
Meaning and correct use of “as to why”
I don't know why I love you, even when you are homeless.
I don't know as to why I love you, even when you are homeless.
I am crazy because I don't know what the difference between these two ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
use of phrasal verb “reach out” meaning to contact someone [closed]
This morning when I was writing a note I've got myself in doubt about using the reach out phrasal verb. My intention is to tell a person that I tried to reach him out, but, this is the doubt. What is ...
0
votes
0answers
38 views
What does “unmatched value” mean in the following sentence [closed]
What does "unmatched value" mean in the following sentence?
Should a business turn down a client for unmatched values
8
votes
2answers
1k views
How to use “I love you”?
In Italy, you have two options to say "I love you", I'll try to translate them the best I can:
I love you (Ti amo.)
I want you to be ok (Ti voglio bene.)
The fact is that in English, both ti amo ...
-3
votes
2answers
53 views
“Only for A, B, and C”: Includes cases where not all are present? [closed]
After submitting the report, changes can be made only for the font
size, margins, and line spacing.
Does this sentence imply that changes can be made only if all three types of changes are ...
-1
votes
1answer
89 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 ...
1
vote
3answers
3k views
What is the meaning of 'this is not here'?
What is the meaning of the phrase "this is not here"? I saw this on a door in a John Lennon video and wonder if this is a Zen phrase or specific English usage.
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 ...
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?
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
...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
What does “Swish of skirt” mean? Why is it a sexist expression?
Time magazine (March 13) carries AP’s report on North Korea’s radical reaction against ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills under the headline, “N. Korea criticizes S. Korea President’s ‘Swish of ...
-1
votes
1answer
67 views
Does a group overlap another group?
I'm not a native speaker and I want to describe the following case:
There is an Active Directory group and another one. Let's say "Managers" and "Janitors". Both of these groups have the same ...
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" ...
2
votes
2answers
362 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
93 views
Meaning of “it” in “it [. . .] settled into its unbreakable parts”
Please help me understand the meaning of “settled into its unbreakable parts” as used in this excerpt below from Flannery O’Connor’s The Violent Bear It Away:
He was sitting forward on the seat, ...
-2
votes
1answer
90 views
What does “put on a show” mean? [closed]
This is verse one of the song Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 (sorry it looks so spread out I tried to single line it, but didn't work):
Just shoot for the stars
If it feels right
Then aim for ...
-1
votes
1answer
100 views
Why would you want to do that? [closed]
I recently shared with several coworkers that I wanted to go to a particular class. My coworker responded to me with the following question: "Why would you want to do that?" I responded with a ...
-2
votes
3answers
132 views
Meaning of “I'm a disaster” [closed]
What does disaster mean in the following sentence?
I'm a disaster.
-1
votes
1answer
65 views
Is “encrusted with dust” correct? [closed]
A big black vehicle rumbles through the streets of the slum. Its battered exterior is encrusted with dust.
"Encrusted" means that water or oil has been combined with dust (or something) and then ...
2
votes
1answer
127 views
What does “Dollars to <something>” mean in the context?
I found it through the comments below:
What a shame. Dollars to your aunt's cherry the next thing to go will be the Beach Races - I'd put money on it.
And also here in the comments.
1
vote
6answers
928 views
What does “don't shoot yourself in the foot” mean? [closed]
What does "Don’t shoot yourself in the foot" mean?
Unfortunately, most salary decisions are based on perceived performance, not on actual performance. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot.
2
votes
4answers
148 views
The meaning of “like fire hardened”
He barely noticed when he ran out of the woods onto the bare red road. It streaked beneath him like fire hardened and only gradually as his breath choked him did he slow down and begin to take his ...
0
votes
1answer
117 views
Meaning of “a rage of vision”?
What is the meaning of “had sent him a rage of vision” in this excerpt:
The old man was in a position to know what his ideas were. He had lived for three months in the nephew's house on what he ...
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 ...
0
votes
2answers
97 views
Meaning of “that” in “holomorphic function in the sector S that is continuous”
I have encountered a confusing sentence in a math textbook:
Suppose F is a holomorphic function in the sector S that is continuous
on the closure of S.
What does that mean in the above ...
4
votes
1answer
4k views
“To be is to do” — “To do is to be” — “Do-be-do-be-do”: what does this mean?
To be is to do. —Socrates
To do is to be. —Plato
Do-be-do-be-do. —Sinatra
I saw it on some shirts or somewhere. I don’t understand what it means when those sentences are put together.
3
votes
4answers
11k views
What does 'abstract ideas' mean? [closed]
In the sentence for example:
This book would also interest intelligent students with a taste for abstract ideas and theoretical arguments.
What does the phrase "abstract ideas" mean? I looked up ...
-4
votes
2answers
3k views
Does “I’m available” mean “I’m single”?
Does “I’m available” mean “I’m single” (not married or not had a girlfriend or a boyfriend yet) when someone asks about your relationship status?
8
votes
2answers
582 views
Meaning of “duck”
This is an extract from the subtitles of a television series (Bones) in which Brennan have a talk with Booth:
Booth: The director will create a special unit. If I line my ducks up, I can head it ...
-1
votes
1answer
42 views
They give very less attention to the him [closed]
Ron gets inside room filled with people. They give very less attention to the him.
Here what I mean by "give very less attention" is - out of all the people in the room only few people looks at ...
-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 ...
5
votes
3answers
473 views
Meaning of “The most I ever did for you, was to outlive you, / But that is much”
What did the poet mean by the following lines?
The most I ever did for you, was to outlive you,
But that is much.
— Edna St. Vincent Millay
I am not able to understand the meaning ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
What does “sunset” mean in this text?
In the definition of USA PATRIOT, I read the following text:
Many of the act's provisions were to sunset beginning December 31, 2005, approximately 4 years after its passage. In the months ...
1
vote
1answer
67 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
votes
1answer
66 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
1answer
3k views
Meaning of “What else is new”
I sent an email to my colleague for any questions he had, he could feel free to ask me.
This is the reply from him:
Will do, just got sidetracked for a bit here… what else is new. =)
Should I ...
-2
votes
1answer
63 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 ...
18
votes
9answers
2k views
How should “deceptively” actually be used?
I'm not sure if this is a duplicate question, but I couldn't find anything on here on the topic. I can't seem to figure out what is actually meant when using the word "deceptive," or rather, what is ...
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
2answers
112 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 ...
