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.
4,915
questions
-3
votes
0
answers
27
views
The meaning of ‘Pony boy’ in the context of Disney film ‘Finding Nemo’ [closed]
Could anyone please explain to me what does ‘Pony boy’ when used by Marlin to Martin in Disney film Finding Nemo
- 1
-1
votes
0
answers
26
views
0
votes
0
answers
27
views
A question about turning noun strings into a more clear sentence [closed]
I enrolled the course Writing in Plain Language on Linkedin Learning. The following sentences are from the exercise files of it. The first sentence is the wrong one (in terms of how plain language ...
- 206
-1
votes
0
answers
15
views
Meaning of “Recall” [closed]
What does “Recall” mean here?
I even shunned physical therapy sessions after undergoing knee and hip replacements while working at the Persian Restaurant (one of my hip prosthetics was recalled, ...
- 41
0
votes
0
answers
8
views
what's the meaning of "hang on like a loose garment" in the context? [migrated]
For the socialists, no less than for the bourgeoisie, evecything involves the question oftaste, of a viewpoint and ofmoods. In socialism, as in bourgeois society, things are confined to the surface ...
1
vote
2
answers
64
views
What is the meaning of "campaigner" in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes?
I am quoting from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle:
"Because you will find me a dangerous companion now. This man's occupation is gone. He is lost if he ...
- 527
0
votes
0
answers
20
views
What does "if she suspects the nature of my feelings for him, she means to put me on my guard" mean?
What does "if she suspects the nature of my feelings for him, she means (most kindly!) to put me on my guard" mean from "Pride and Prejudice"?
Here is the passage from which it is ...
- 1
1
vote
0
answers
15
views
Usage of the word "or" [closed]
The word "or" is commonly used to link alternatives. For example, in the sentence "You should use a pencil or a pen", the meaning is you can choose which one you want to use.
...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
21
views
Meaning of "run to the bank" in a political/business context?
In this video, there's rather a grim discussion of the US Military Industrial Complex. The female commentator talks about how the MIC is making profits out of wars and "they run to the bank"....
- 1
4
votes
2
answers
71
views
What does "rule" mean in "the rule of law"?
What does rule mean in the rule of law? I understand the concept of it, but not the grammar. Does "rule" mean "control"/"domination"? Or does it mean "rule" as ...
- 179
-1
votes
1
answer
55
views
What’s the meaning of “Substance” [closed]
What’s the meaning of Substance in this phrase:
James had never served in the medical community, and his strength was substance rather than management of a large organization.
- 41
0
votes
0
answers
41
views
What does “watermarked the moon” mean? [migrated]
The lyrics say
“Watermarked the moon, cast the hex”
I really don’t know what it means.
Even “cast the hex”, is it like “throw the witch” or “cast upon the witch a curse”?
This is more of the lyrics ...
- 3
0
votes
0
answers
22
views
What do these punctuation marks mean? [closed]
This is the syllabus for an exam I planning to prepare for and in the picture there are many punctuation marks viz; hyphen, em dash etc, I am confused about multiple hyphens in the para. What do they ...
-1
votes
0
answers
14
views
Could you explain what "make pay" in this context? [migrated]
I'm not clear about the phrase used here. Does "pay" in this context mean to score?
GOAL - Mohamed Salah Fulham 2-2 Liverpool
After being so organised for most of the game, the Fulham ...
- 95
-3
votes
0
answers
25
views
What does the word "snare" mean in the following sentence? [closed]
Do you seek to snare that poor chap in your machinations again?
3
votes
1
answer
258
views
Meaning of "The press of duties"
What's the meaning of the phrase "The press of his duties meant"?
Though he was an occasional participant in the PDB sessions with President Lincoln, the press of his duties meant that ...
- 41
0
votes
2
answers
73
views
Meaning of "engineer" as a hotel employee
During a short stay at a hotel in Manhattan, I had a problem with the sink drain getting clogged. I rang the reception and described the problem. They replied: "I will send an engineer up right ...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
55
views
What does "rooting" mean in this passage?
What does "rooting" mean in the following passage?
.... If the sites we visit grow and shrink in popularity in a matter of years, we can't experience the same type of "rooting" we ...
-1
votes
0
answers
33
views
Definition of ‘language’ in Politics [closed]
Whats the general meaning of this phrase? Specially the word “language”
Alexander interpreted the language in the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act that created the DNI position ...
- 41
2
votes
1
answer
26
views
Within XY minutes of the start
I misunderstood the following: "An existing booking can be changed once, depending on the availability, but only within 60 minutes of the scheduled start time." The scheduled time was 9:30 ...
- 23
0
votes
1
answer
44
views
What does "folly and fool" mean in this sentence
I am reading the Wikipedia entry for Clown, as for some reason I thought they would be close to Religion historically, and found this sentence
"It seems plausible that folly and fools, like ...
- 3
-1
votes
2
answers
28
views
Is ‘in its own turn’ used correctly in this sentence?
The relation between freedom and democracy is not one-sided: democracy
does require freedom, but contributes, in its own turn, to
freedom as well.
Here I’ve used ‘in its own turn’ to emphasize two-...
- 2,891
0
votes
1
answer
59
views
What is meant by statistical inevitability?
What is meant by statistical inevitability? For e.g. in Editorial: summer accidents no statistical inevitability - Estonian news
inevitability means something that can't be avoided
EDIT: From your ...
- 115
1
vote
1
answer
36
views
meaning of the word "Engagement" [closed]
whats the meaning of Engagements in this phrase?
While I enjoyed and benefited from working with many other services, notably those of the Russian and Chinese, it was during my many years living and ...
9
votes
4
answers
2k
views
What is meant by the term "beeline" in an address (latitude/longitude)?
I am supposed to work on an IT project where I have to return the respective technician's data if it falls in operating radius based on the customer's address who can do craftsman work in their home.
...
- 99
0
votes
2
answers
100
views
“OSC” meaning in Jeffrey Archer’s UK police/crime novel set in the 1980s
you might need to call your OSC and find out if he can supply us with any details.’ ‘I can’t call Heath,’ said William. ‘He only ever contacts me.’
— Hidden in Plain Sight, Jeffrey Archer
From ...
- 22.1k
3
votes
4
answers
65
views
Scientific or science-based policy-making
The research centers help the government in ———— policy-making.
Scientific or science-based in the above context.
Clearly, what I mean is policy-making that is based on science, but does ‘scientific’ ...
- 2,891
7
votes
3
answers
264
views
How is UK "bloody" understood in the US in 2022?
How likely is it for the average person in the US, with a reasonable cultural understanding of the world to realize that Sentence 1, "I have to finish that bloody project," is loosely a UK ...
- 21.2k
0
votes
2
answers
88
views
What are other meanings of the word "song"?
Can the word "song" mean story and news?
I'm reading Clash of Kings and I noticed that characters use the word song even when they're not talking about music.
languageslover
-1
votes
1
answer
50
views
Which of the meaning of ‘ghost’ is meant in the phrase ‘ghost authorship’? [closed]
Ghost authorship is essentially the opposite of honorary authorship,
entailing a significant contribution to a manuscript without
acknowledgment of that contribution. The most well-known scenario
...
- 2,891
0
votes
1
answer
26
views
What's the meaning of "national life-interests"?
Behind this facade disappears the distinction between the just, national life-interests of a people, and the aggressive tendencies of imperialist chauvinism. Source
3
votes
2
answers
105
views
Is there any expression for 'things that are innocent but appear or look bad'?
Is there any phrase or expression or idiom for a situation where things are actually innocent but appear bad.
Example: A young girl is not supposed to go to a boy´s home if his parents are not there. ...
- 31
12
votes
2
answers
4k
views
What is the meaning of Terry Pratchett's idiom/pun "coming and going"?
I have encountered a pun in a novel by Terry Pratchett that I cannot wrap my head around. I'm not a native English speaker, and any assistance with this would be highly appreciated. The pun seems to ...
- 121
0
votes
0
answers
45
views
Meaning of “the hatter’s art” [migrated]
Currently reading “The Golem” by Gustav Meyrink and have encountered this sentence:
“Prokop’s noble specimen of the hatter’s art is tempted to fly away”,
said Zwakh, pointing to the musician’s huge ...
- 145
1
vote
8
answers
2k
views
Does the book title "The Art of XYZ" imply doing XYZ is an art, requiring creative skill?
I am Chinese, when I read a book with the title "The Art of XYZ" I always assume doing XYZ is an art, requiring creative skills. A good example is The Art of War
But the more I read the ...
- 535
0
votes
1
answer
42
views
What’s the meaning of ‘stand hacking‘? [duplicate]
I'm trying to understand this sentence:
For hours I stood hacking at the icy ground.
Which is in this excerpt of Viktor Frankl’s 1947 book, Man's Search for Meaning:
Another time we were at work in ...
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
27
views
Usage of "focal" in a sentence
If I am referring to a group of n cells, labeled by c(1), ..., c(n), and I want to refer to a typical cell c(i), for a general i, is it correct to use the word "focal" as follows
"For a ...
- 109
0
votes
2
answers
37
views
what does "open box guys"/ "sealed guys" mean here?
Does it mean "There are people who just like to buy opened VHS tapes, and they don't think there can be sealed VHS tapes at the moment"?
"There's people who are only open box guys, and ...
- 167
0
votes
1
answer
46
views
What does "cutting in" mean?
Flies, bees, beetles, wasps, and other insects are segmented creatures——head, thorax, and abdomen. where these parts join, there appears to the imaginative eye a "cutting in" of the body.
...
- 47
0
votes
1
answer
83
views
Is "a normal woman" correct?
Normally, we say "an ordinary woman", but I read an article about Kate Middleton recently, the Duchess of Cambridge, it says she isn't a normal woman. From the article, I can tell that the ...
1
vote
1
answer
64
views
What does "a paper of sandwiches" mean?
I am quoting from the TV series "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" (episode 3, "The Naval Treaty"):
After leaving at the station I went for a charming walk through some admirable ...
- 527
0
votes
1
answer
45
views
What does "I'll not go a step further" actually mean in this specific context?
Maybe you know the Norwegian folk tale Doll i 'the Grass. The story features the sentence
"But if you'll only say at once you'll be my wife, I'll not go a step
further," said Boots to Doll ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
57
views
meaning of "polite" in this song
The musical A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum opens with the song Comedy Tonight.
The lyrics describe how the show is a comedy, and not a tragedy. The show will not contain various ...
- 2,245
0
votes
1
answer
56
views
Is ‘platform’ used correctly in the intended sense in this context? [closed]
Dating websites and dating apps are today very popular, but we don’t
know how successful finding relationship via such platforms is. What percent of those using dating platforms find the right partner?...
- 2,891
0
votes
1
answer
50
views
What does "death's head apparition"mean?
To have painted the sordid facts of their lives, and they throughout
invoking the death’s head apparition of the family gentility to come
and scare their benefactors, would have made Young John a ...
- 334
-1
votes
2
answers
74
views
What's the exact meaning of 'skim off the top'
I saw this scene from 'The Godfather' (part 1), where the expression 'skim off the top' was used:
Michael: The Corleone family wants to buy you out.
Mike: The Corleone family wants to buy me out? No, ...
- 11
-2
votes
1
answer
99
views
Please help me understand a joke
I don’t quite understand the "Ad Land" cartoon by David T. Jones. Could you explain the meaning to me?
I will attach the screenshot of this cartoon, but you can also find it here: https://...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
41
views
What is the meaning of "the ship reached the line"?
What does "the line" mean in "the ship reached the line" in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner?
2
votes
0
answers
95
views
What is a kutikan? [closed]
What is a kutikan as relates to trailhead amenities?
"We'll be adding amenities to complement the MUT like benches, water fountain, and a kutikan." Source: a proposal report for the ...
- 29
0
votes
0
answers
20
views
Is ‘when regarding’ in this sentence a preposition, meaning on the subject of/ in respect to, or a verb meaning thinking of/considering?
A recent troubling MIT study, revealed that fake news diffused significantly farther, faster, deeper and more broadly than the truth, with the effect even more pronounced when regarding political news ...
- 1