Tagged Questions
2
votes
2answers
31 views
made of vs made up of
I'd really value your thoughts on this one.
I'm familiar with the following use of 'made of':
The shirt is made of silk.
But I'd like to know if anyone thinks using this phrasal verb as a ...
1
vote
1answer
120 views
How should I use the phrasal verb “to d**k around”?
To waste time
Stop dicking me around and get to the point.
Would you please stop dicking around with her?
To take advantage of
You're dicking him around, you know?
Don't ...
-2
votes
1answer
111 views
Can one use “known from” as “known for”?
I wonder if we can use the form "known from" instead of "known for" (saving the same meaning, of course).
For example: "NY is known from its beautiful Empire State Building"
instead of "NY is known ...
-2
votes
1answer
124 views
What does “switch off” mean? [closed]
I read a blog post which includes the following sentence:
I hear many PhD students say they feel stressed because they can’t switch off.
What does the term switch off mean in the sentence above?
...
1
vote
2answers
129 views
Is there any difference between “stoop down” and “stoop”?
According to Longman, they are the same, but I wonder if this is correct or if so, which one is more common.
For example:
Dave stooped down to tie his shoes.
Dave stooped to tie his shoes.
...
4
votes
5answers
248 views
Looking for the opposite of “drill down”
I am a programmer working on a chart component that allows to drill down on selection of a node. Drilling down will show the details of that node (like its children etc.). But I am struggling to find ...
1
vote
1answer
79 views
Meaning of “broken off short”
What does "the handle broken off short" mean when referring to an axe?
Does it mean the handle is broken off and it is a little far from the rest, or that it is broken close to the axe and there is ...
3
votes
3answers
194 views
What is the difference between “carry out a crime” and “commit a crime”
Do these both have the same meaning?
John carried out a crime.
John committed a crime.
2
votes
2answers
126 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 ...
2
votes
2answers
76 views
How do you define broke and broke into?
How do you define broke and broke into here?
OP: "If you're not making six figures by the time you're 40, you fail at life."
P1: "whew... I just made it... broke into 6 figures at 39."
P2: "I broke ...
2
votes
2answers
239 views
What does “to look by” mean?
According to an article I read, the following sentences are roughly synonymous:
He looked by the building.
He looked past the building.
I don't know what look by and look past mean. I found a ...
-1
votes
1answer
335 views
“Button up” vs. “button down” [closed]
As it pertains to a dress shirt, which is the correct usage or do these terms have different meanings?
4
votes
2answers
461 views
What do “wonk” as against performer and “Wonking out” mean?
Time magazine’s October 22nd issue carries the article titled “Paul Ryan on the campaign trail: More performer than wonk.” The article begins with the following lines:
“Mitt Romney's running mate ...
1
vote
3answers
531 views
What's the difference between “get up” and “stand up”?
I'm translating Bob Marley's song "Get up, stand up" and, consulting my dictionary, I can't understand the difference between these two verbs.
I have understood the overall meaning of this song, of ...
3
votes
2answers
5k views
What exactly does “sweep me off my feet” mean? (And why?)
Although the phrase "sweep me off my feet" probably means, "make me fall in love with you in a short time", what does it exactly mean, because "sweeping" can be difficult to be associated with "love". ...
2
votes
1answer
74 views
What's the meaning of “throw out”
Ultimate fist pumping workout.
My friend threw out her shoulder by fist pumping at a club once.
The comment was made from a gif. In this gif, it shows a man doing a workout holding a barbell ...
2
votes
2answers
89 views
Meaning and origin of “rally peters out”
Positive reactions from stock markets can be described as the markets "rallying peters out". See this guardian article for an example of this usage.
I don't quite understand this proverb. Where does ...
5
votes
3answers
237 views
“Went” vs. “went along”
At work, he made up lies as he went along.
At work, he made up lies as he went.
Is one of the above wrong?
2
votes
1answer
170 views
Meaning of “pull up”
What's the meaning of pull up?
Tried pulling up on my cell(video), wouldn't work. Will watch when I get home.
6
votes
2answers
293 views
What's the meaning of “dummy up”?
What does "dummy up" mean here?
The cops wouldn't tell me who the owner was, but we're a military town, so I took a chance. Called my insurance (USAA) and as luck would have it, that was the other ...
-2
votes
3answers
283 views
Meaning of “go down” [closed]
What's the meaning of go down?
Little did anyone know, the 47-year-old Silicon Valley executive was actually engaged in a giant scam...He was finally caught by Target security on May 8, and he was ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Difference between “she cut her hair” and “she cut her hair off”?
Why are we using off here? What additional meaning does it add?
The meaning of off from http://tfd.com/off that suits this sentence is: "away (from a place, time etc.)".
12
votes
5answers
1k views
“Writing things down” vs. “writing things up”
Is there any difference in the usage of "writing things down" vs. "writing things up"? Are they both correct?
-2
votes
1answer
194 views
Contextual meaning of “run out of” [closed]
This is from CSI NY. Two investigators are examining a victim's body.
Joe: Well, I almost ran out of here. Any idea who she is?
Mic: No. Definitely doesn't work in the lab.
0
votes
2answers
214 views
What does “come away” mean here, in reference to a memorial?
Does come away here mean "you come away from home"?
From a CNN article:
Robert Henry, a former U.S. appeals judge whose office was across the street from the federal building, says the memorial ...
5
votes
5answers
670 views
What does “turn off” mean here?
Could it be a typo for "and one by one they will be turned off"? CNN:
Many of the existing space telescopes, Hubble included, are nearing the end of their lifetimes, and one by one they will turn ...
2
votes
2answers
431 views
What's the meaning of “delivering up” here?
Context (Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address),
There is much controversy about the delivering up of fugitives from service or labor. The clause I now read is as plainly written in the Constitution ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views
“Cover off” meaning “cover”
I've noticed that some business people (generally management types) have started to use the expression "cover off" to mean "cover".
E.g.
Can you cover off agenda item 3 for me?
or
Not ...
1
vote
3answers
802 views
What is the difference among ‘In you come’, ‘Come on in’, and ‘Do come in’?
Bagman suddenly spotted Harry, got up quickly, and bounded forward.
“Ah, here he is! Champion number four! In you come, Harry, in you come … nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ...
15
votes
2answers
1k views
Does “filling out” equal to “filling in”?
I quoted the following from a pamphlet:
Please read the instructions carefully before filling out the application
form. The application will be returned to you and the registration may be
...
1
vote
4answers
21k views
What does the phrase “I’m down with” mean?
I was wondering about the meaning of:
I am down with something.
Also, I was wondering whether people say:
I am up with something.
If so, what does it mean?
3
votes
3answers
883 views
“Build out” versus “build up”
How are these two different?
Build [something] out
vs.
Build [something] up
3
votes
4answers
2k views
Why use 'step down' instead of 'resign'? Is there any difference?
Ozzie announced his plans to step down from his role at Microsoft on October 18, 2010
2
votes
3answers
504 views
What do “muckraker” and “rake muck” mean?
Are they the same? What do they mean?
Here is the sentence:
I was one of the most experienced. All of us were judged by our ability to rake muck. The head muckraker was Frederica Jansz...
25
votes
2answers
4k views
What is the difference between “maybe” and “may be”?
What is the difference in meaning and usage between maybe and may be? Are they synonymous?
4
votes
3answers
305 views
Meaning of “run around doing something”
What does run around doing something mean?
For example:
I can't see any reason to run around deleting the recovery partition.
-1
votes
3answers
1k views
Usage of “track down”
I recently read (in a website) the following sentence. (I replaced the usernames with placeholders.)
[username1], if this is still happening, there is a good chance your IP got
blocked due to ...
1
vote
2answers
644 views
What does “urge to kill” mean?
I've got an answer to my comment at Stack Overflow, and I don't get what it means.
I've googled and looked over several dictionaries with no help. Seems like it is some specific slang/phrasal verb, ...
6
votes
3answers
12k views
