Questions tagged [meaning-in-context]
This tag is for questions about the meaning of a longer passage of English. A SPECIFIC CONCERN must be emphasized.
4,099
questions
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Is the phrase 'at one gulp' correct?
I have found in Longman Dictionary the following:
'in one gulp/at a gulp'
I have also found in The Free Dictionary the following:
'in or at one gulp'
Is the phrase 'at one gulp' correct?...
0
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1answer
18 views
What is the meaning of “psychic grossness” and “want” in this paragraph?
What is the true meaning of "psychic grossness" and "want" at this paragraph?
Swedenborg claimed that a heavy cloud was formed round the earth by the psychic grossness of humanity, and that from ...
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1answer
29 views
what is the true meaning of “average” in this sentence? [closed]
what is the true meaning of "average" in this sentence? does it mean most of the people are good? or human beings are usually good?
"Man is not naturally bad. The average human
being is good."
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0answers
28 views
what is the meaning of “likes” in this paragraph? does it mean that humans and spirits are both bad? [closed]
what is the meaning of "likes" in this paragraph? does it mean that humans and spirits are both bad?
Some of his followers, notably Dr. Garth Wilkinson, have put forward
another objection thus: "The ...
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vote
1answer
30 views
what's the meaning of “since long”?
As a matter of practice, larger issuers have since long voluntarily
offered more forward-looking information than was strictly required
I'm unfamiliar with the expression "since long".
Could you ...
2
votes
1answer
25 views
what is the meaning of “sufficiently comparable”?
firms will not disclose sufficient, or sufficiently comparable,
information unless they are required to do so
Could you kindly let me know what "sufficiently comparable" means in the sentence I ...
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0answers
40 views
ISTQB term “test condition”
I have the term "test condition" as defined in the ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board, an organization that provdes Certified Tester exams) glossary:
An item or event of a ...
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0answers
33 views
what is the meaning of this sentence “since the spirit of the deceased dwells with the spirit of the survivor”?
what is the meaning of this sentence "since the spirit of the deceased dwells
with the spirit of the survivor"?
Two real lovers are not
separated by the death of one, since the spirit of the ...
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1answer
34 views
Am I misunderstanding the definition of a connection in this context?
In the below paragraph, taken from a Quora question, what exactly is the connection being made here? It’s my understanding that for a connection it has to be between two things, but I don’t see what ...
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4answers
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What does “a flight to quality” mean?
I was reading an article on the Economist about revolutionizing management education and came across an interesting expression.
Geoffrey Garrett, dean of the Wharton School, at the University of ...
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1answer
32 views
What is the true meaning of “since his time” and “since his day”?
What is the true meaning of "since his time" and "since his day"?
Here are examples of them in use:
We have to face the fact that in the
main the spiritual observations which he made have been ...
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1answer
37 views
What does the phrase “going well in the soft” mean?
Does anyone know what does this phrase mean: "Piper going well in the soft, lads. Down to fourth". I think it was about bets. The phrase was from a tv series "Peaky Blinders".
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8 views
have got to where [closed]
What is the meaning of "have got to where" in following sentence:
I see the man almost every day. We have got to where we exchange
bows, and very cordial ones.
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0answers
30 views
What does “ability of the machines to build it allows” mean here?
A highway won’t be ready quicker than the ability of the machines to
build it allows, the building materials to solidify, and of course,
all the bureaucratic processes are properly completed.
...
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votes
1answer
41 views
What does “the outside world” mean here?
The following is from Bertrand Russell's Political Ideals
When any group of men has a strong corporate consciousness--such as belongs, for example, to a nation or a trade or a religious body--...
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0answers
47 views
Does 12+ mean everything above 12 or 12 and up [closed]
I've seen it on a few diffrent places, most notably app store. Most apps are set to 12+. Social media apps like snapchat and facebook is on appstore set to be 12+. But if i remember correctly, you do ...
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2answers
52 views
The use of “to riot in understatement”
What is the meaning of "to riot in understatement"? Can you paraphrase it? I include 3 examples from Gore Vidal:
In the spring of 1948 I was twenty-two and my third book, "The City and the Pillar", ...
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1answer
51 views
What's a word that means “making fun of” with a positive connotation? Like the comment is not harmful
I'm trying to say that my classmates "tease" me for always having so much enthusiasm regardless of the amount of work we have. My goal is to show that my enthusiam is a good thing. Is tease a good ...
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1answer
33 views
Can a phrase have two meanings
So, I am having a dispute with a company regarding the timely return of an item. They told me to please return the item by or before the 18th of the month. I understood this to mean that I must have ...
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0answers
26 views
Is the statement “Her silence is deafening” always disapproving?
I wanted to praise a girl who silently works with no big fuss. But she always contributes so much that she is hard to miss noticing. In this context, is it correct to write "She works with such a ...
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2answers
30 views
How to understand “don't make us look like jerks here” in this context
In one episode of Modern Family, the mother refuses to get her son a new bike because she thinks he is not responsible enough for it. But the father doesn't agree with her completely and buys it for ...
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1answer
26 views
To set somebody up, meaning in this context?
Here is the context: I'm translating a movie and the plot is about two young friends, one of whom is going to move abroad to study after attending an english class. The two girls had an argument and ...
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0answers
25 views
What is your work experience support organisation?
Hi! Due to my bad English, I would ask you the meaning of "What is your work experience support organisation?".
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1answer
24 views
Testimonal document in the context of scholarship to study abroad?
I'm translating subtitles for a movie and I ran into this sentence:
Teacher: You have some missing documents. You need a signed testimonial from your parents.
Student: But I'm already 18. ...
2
votes
1answer
41 views
What does “having a confirm for someone” mean?
The context:
"Thanks for your message.
Sorry for that you haven't received the item yet.
I understand you truly, but please don't worry; we will fix the problem for you smoothly.
Could you please give ...
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0answers
27 views
meaning of expression “on the facts”
On the facts, all of Dharma's claims failed
On the facts, there was no evidence that it had assumed a position of
advisor.
I cam across the expression "on the facts" a few times, but stil do ...
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1answer
62 views
What does “convey” mean in this sentence?
I was reading a wikipedia page and stumbled upon this sentence.
A layman or straw man is a figure not intended to have a genuine beneficial interest in a property, to whom such property is ...
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vote
1answer
55 views
“handicapped” in the sense of “being limited”
I was thinking if the word "handicapped" is appropriate here.
This is a great way to handle things when your team is handicapped to handle only a few types of issues.
I feel it's not okay since ...
0
votes
1answer
30 views
meaning of “it cannot sensibly be said”
It cannot sensibly be said that the agent has a duty to disclose to
each of its other principals information which it is bound, by its
fiduciary duties to another principal, to keep confidential.
...
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0answers
31 views
Meaning of “Find such a deal”
The agreement was that, if the agent could find X, the agent would be entitled to a commission equal to Y. The agent found such a deal.
Could you kindly let me know what "find such a deal" means in ...
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vote
3answers
79 views
Alternative term/phrase to 'Rule of thumb'?
I like using the term 'rule of thumb'.
e.g., "As a rule of thumb it takes 10,000 hrs of practice to master a skill"
However it has come to my attention that it it may have a less than favorable ...
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1answer
26 views
meaning of the phrase “issue of quantum of”
I often find the phrase "issue of quantum of" in the rulings made by the U.S courts like the below.
The substance of the argument is that the court deciding the issue of
quantum of damages would ...
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0answers
36 views
What does “much less both” in the following sentence mean? [duplicate]
Few historians have extensive training in critical theory and its
specialized languages, and the sheer volume of work in early American
history and literature challenges anyone who would master ...
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0answers
43 views
Not easily satisfied - high standards vs unimportant details [duplicate]
I may be missing something but I cannot directly find a word which describes someone who is hard to please but only (or at least mainly) because of this person paying attention on unimportant details ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
What's the meaning of “have received” this sentence?
"Some of them have received industrial development"
To be more specific, what's "have received" meaning in above sentence?
The context is about some materials.
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0answers
27 views
various analytic crises [closed]
Despite being an introduction to both the differential and integral calculus, the simple and profound ideas of Newton and Leibniz will be discarded in favor of the more sophisticated function-based ...
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1answer
61 views
What is the true meaning of “comes in the way of” at this paragraph?
What is the true meaning of "comes in the way of" at this paragraph?
With such a mind it is natural enough that he should be struck by the
evidence for extra-mundane powers which comes in the way ...
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3answers
83 views
Lightness of touch
"His style is characterized by a lightness of touch and attention to detail."
Hi. In this sentence which is about a sculptor, what is meant by "a lightness of touch"? Does it make sense regarding the ...
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0answers
199 views
What does “seas the day” mean? [migrated]
What does the idiom seas the day mean?
An Indian cricketor tweets that he seas the day. What part of speech is seas in the phrase? Is it a verb? How did the phrase come ...
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70 views
what kind of euphemism is this “work done” about? (in a context of online dating)
This is the latest of several online dating profiles I've seen posted, by women, about "work done".
He has done his own work and respects that I've done mine.
Similarly, I've also seen he's had ...
0
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1answer
45 views
Does the word “agree” have more than one meaning? [closed]
Suppose the word agree just has the meaning of agreeing with an opinion and to say you agree with that opinion means you have that opinion. Furthermore, suppose that every time somebody says they ...
0
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1answer
62 views
what's the meaning of this? (whitewash, pants dirty, pop them off, pop them in) [closed]
In the drama 'Miranda' season 2, episode 1, near 6:58,
I see Miranda's mom as she comes downstairs saying (in the subtitles)
'Darling I'm doing a white wash, if your pants are dirty, pop them off, I'...
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0answers
51 views
Do “how to proceed” and “how to do” express the same meaning when giving instructions? [migrated]
Since "proceed" generally means to continue a course of action, how do you understand the sentence "how to proceed" when used before instructions?
How to Proceed
Step 01
Step 02
...
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1answer
99 views
Why is documentation the “castor oil” of programming?
I found an unusual use of "castor oil" in this sentence, which seems to be a common maxim:
Documentation is the castor oil of programming.
What is the role of castor oil in this sentence? Is there ...
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0answers
27 views
Is there any other alternative for the sentence ' oriented me towards studies'
I am writing a personal statement and want to mention how a series of events has oriented me towards research. Any alternatives for this?
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2answers
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Usage of the word 'as' meaning 'considering' [closed]
Will they accept his invitation, unsociable as they are?
Does the last clause mean, "considering how unsociable they are?"
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1answer
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The greatness of a teacher lies in respecting the child [closed]
The greatness of a teacher lies in respecting the child
What does respect imply in the sentence. I know it is a quote from Emerson, a great educationist and inspirer of all times.
The ...
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0answers
42 views
sentence i couldn't really understand in “Watchmen” comic book
i was reading the "watchmen" comic book when i came across these sentences at the end of the issue:
the man was talking-to his journals- about a joke then when he finishes the narrating of the joke he ...
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vote
1answer
40 views
Offered up in his support
There is nothing quite so vexing to the author of a scathing indictment as having the primary target of his venom offered up in his support.
It is from the book "A Mathematician's Lament" which is a ...
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1answer
26 views
Is the phrase ''Regarding my educational journey'' correct?
I want to use it in this sentence ' Regarding my educational journey, it is glaring that studying and doing research are endeavors I would like to engage in even more'
