Questions tagged [sentence-meaning]
The sentence-meaning tag has no usage guidance.
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1answer
46 views
Meaning of “That'll get steam on the table.”
I was watching a movie featuring a conversation between two men. This is an attempt at transcribing the conversation:
Man #1: "I'm redistributing wealth. It's quite spiritual. Karma,
boy."
I'm ...
0
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1answer
39 views
What does “run the place” mean here? [on hold]
"Virginia's state government seemed unable to find anyone to run the place who has not either applied boot polish to his face while at college or been accused of sexual assault. "
What do "run the ...
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1answer
20 views
Meaning of “accept […] on […]”
In the book "The Twenty Years' Crisis" by E. H. Carr, written in 1939, I read
[men] accept the judgment of history on the past.
After checking OED and Merriam-Webster here and here, I still do not ...
0
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0answers
22 views
How would you describe change which is perceived negatively by the audience?
Recently, A well-known player shaved off his beard and posted his image on social media
I wish to post a sentence that would describe the following idea
"any physical change done by a personality is ...
2
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2answers
51 views
What does “90m-strong” mean here?
"Goumin, a pet-services portal, says China has 73.5m cat- or dog-owners, a group approaching the size of the 90m-strong Communist Party." What does "90m-strong" mean here? Thanks.
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1answer
37 views
“Forgive me?” “Not at all.”
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius and Remus have the following conversation:
“Remus!” Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. “You don’...
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0answers
32 views
The Future Simple with 'when'
I know when we use 'when' and want to refer to the future, we use the Present Simple; i.e, we say 'When I come, I'll call you.'
But is it right to say 'Do you know when the results will be up?'?
...
0
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2answers
42 views
What does “that would be a mistake” mean here?
"The situation is a test of President Donald Trump and his foreign-policy team, including the hawkish national security adviser, John Bolton. This week Mr Bolton hinted at the use of American troops. ...
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0answers
18 views
Have I Ever Done You Wrong Before? [closed]
Have I ever done you wrong before?
I don't quite understand the meaning of this sentence. Can someone please help me with that?
Thanks a lot.
1
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1answer
32 views
Meaning of “feet to the flames”
Nia Warfield, "Crude oil is on track for its best January ever," CNBC:
Kelly also noted that investors are now holding oil companies' "feet to the flames" to increase cash flow amid the surge ...
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0answers
19 views
“You have no money” or “You don't have money” [duplicate]
You have no money.
You don't have money.
Which is the right way to phrase the message here?
0
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0answers
23 views
Not sure what does this paragraph means
"Purchased three computers for 12 months, lease paying the first month installment in cash of net worth of 40,000 each."
Does it mean a single computer monthly installment costs 40,000 or the total ...
0
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0answers
24 views
What does this sentence mean? Having been released from prison, [migrated]
Can anyone explain to me what this sentence means? The grammar is confusing to me.
Is “have been” related to the person talking to himself, or could it relate to other people?
having been ...
0
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1answer
31 views
What does it mean by “wasn’t everybody saying”? [closed]
"As Mr Trump’s opponents called this a disaster, his supporters lambasted their criticism as hysterical—wasn’t everybody saying a year ago that it was sinister to have so many generals in the cabinet?"...
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2answers
51 views
Meaning of “could” in these sentences
Good day everyone.
So I have Michael Swan's grammar book "Practical English Usage" and there's a couple of sections concerning to usage of "could".
So in 82.3 it says that we use could to talk about ...
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1answer
31 views
The meaning of the sentence?
What is the meaning of this sentence?:
I think few will be found to gainsay the assertion that where he trod,
his daughter need not be ashamed to follow.
Source: There is no Death
I think the ...
1
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2answers
62 views
It is supposed that
Could someone say if I understand the phrase "it is supposed that" right?
For example:
It is supposed that tigers don't like swimming in water.
I understand this sentence like there's some random ...
1
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0answers
40 views
What is the meaning of “squirm out of it”? [closed]
I am reading Diary of Wimpy Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Book 1). But when I read to this page. I get stuck about like that
I told Mom there was no way we were taking Manny with us, because we were ...
2
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2answers
53 views
Having completed and after having completed
(After)having completed his work, he left his office. Is there any difference in meaning between with and without 'After' in the sentence
1
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1answer
29 views
“Roger was asking for help to heavens” is wrong sentence?
I'm not a native but I'm working as a writer, writing American gossip news. My boss told me that "Roger was asking for help to heavens." is a wrong sentence. What is wrong with it and what's the ...
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4answers
67 views
What does it mean by “in their thousands”?
"SpaceX and OneWeb, a communications firm, plan to launch satellites in their thousands, not hundreds."
What does it mean by "in their thousands"?
0
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1answer
14 views
What does it mean by “a hotspot for anti-microbial resistance”?
"Widespread dumping of antibiotics in rivers has made the country a hotspot for anti-microbial resistance. "
What does it mean by "a hotspot for anti-microbial resistance"?
2
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1answer
28 views
Does “it is not the case that it is likely” mean it is unlikely?
I'm reading Meaning and Argument and in one exercise of symbolization, there is a sentence which reads "That Jack ever slept here is unlikely."
The symbolization provided is:
"Negation: ~J (J: It is ...
1
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1answer
109 views
What does “crust of a rhinoceros” mean?
I've been reading Thank You, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse and couldn't understand what he meant by "The man must have the crust of a rhinoceros".
Is this British slang? Can somebody explain to me what this ...
2
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1answer
17 views
What does it mean by “made a national champion of”?
"Although the chip battle may have pre-dated Mr Trump, his presidency has intensified it. He has made a national champion of Qualcomm, blocking a bid for it from a Singaporean firm for fear of Chinese ...
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1answer
30 views
love vs like, His mother loves him vs His mother likes him?
What does a native English speaker understand from each one of these sentences :
His mother loves him
His mother likes him
is like only a weak version of love or imply a different meaning ?
1
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1answer
26 views
Stand out with or without “from”
On dictionary.cambridge.org the following two meanings are given for 'stand out':
1) to be very noticable
2) to be much better than other similar things or people
For the 2nd meaning, the example ...
1
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1answer
19 views
What does “risk divides too wide for any bridge” mean?
I read a sentence "China should re-learn Deng’s self-knowledge, or risk divides too wide for any bridge." Can you help explain the meaning of "risk divides too wide for any bridge" and show where the ...
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2answers
80 views
Who is stabbed here?
I'm not sure who is stabbed and who is snarling here.
" Ralf launched himself like a cat; stabbed, snarling, with the spear, and the savage doubled up."
Thanks in advance
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1answer
39 views
What is the meaning of this sentence :“she drew up the blind in impatient jerks.”
What does this sentence mean?
"When she had finished her hasty dressing she drew up the blind in impatient jerks".
And what does "gulf" mean here? :
"Between the long gulf of dark houses"
thanks ...
0
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1answer
29 views
What does “liberal's idea of a model” mean?
What does "no Ameican liberal's idea of a model" mean in the sentence "South Carolina, no American liberal’s idea of a model, has pursued a notably enlightened reform to the sentencing of non-violent ...
1
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1answer
191 views
What does “say mass” mean? [closed]
I cannot understand "saying mass" means in the sentence "Pope Francis conferred sainthood on Óscar Romero, an archbishop who was murdered in 1980 while saying mass by an army-backed death squad in El ...
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3answers
64 views
Can the word mountain be used as the meaning of burden?
I was listening to a song named 'Nobody loves me like you' by Chris Tomlin.
And there was an expression that You’re breaking down the weight of all my mountains.
Thinking by context I guess the ...
3
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2answers
71 views
Making sense of “What Do You Care What Other People Think?”
"What Do You Care What Other People Think?" is the title of a book by Richard Feynman.
The use of the first "what" sounds very unusual to me (a non-native speaker of English) since I've never seen ...
1
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1answer
57 views
Can some nation “approves” something to other countries?
I'm a South Korean.
Today there was an issue in Korea about what Donald Trump the US President said.
https://youtu.be/JLbLk2AUSjs?t=25
Donald Trump : They won't do that without our approval. They do ...
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2answers
766 views
What does “If you are playing the Yankees, you don’t want the umpires to show up wearing pinstripes” mean? [closed]
The sentence goes:
A good judge, like a good umpire, cannot act as a partisan... If you are playing the Yankees, you don’t want the umpires to show up wearing pinstripes.
I cannot understand the ...
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3answers
58 views
What does “longest weak patch” mean?
I did not know the meaning of the part after the comma in the sentence:
Since May spending on projects ranging from railways to power plants has fallen compared with a year earlier, the longest ...
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1answer
11 views
This concerns extended sth
While the core features are free, additional functionality has to be bought. This concerns extended import/export options and rendering.
This means import/export/rendering are not free, right?
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2answers
56 views
“If this isn't flying, I don't know what is.” Is this sentence correct?
If this isn't flying, I don't know what is.
The meaning I'm trying to achieve is that
If this isn't flying, I don't know what else would be
Instead of
If this isn't flying, I don't know what ...
0
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1answer
33 views
Robin sharma's following rivals that of Dalai Lama's meaning?
I came across below statement in one of the book
Robin sharma's following rivals that of Dalai Lama's
Does it means the same as >Robin sharma's following rivals of Dalai Lama's.
My understanding ...
68
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6answers
5k views
“Why does paper cut so well?”, ambiguous question?
I have posted a question titled "Why does paper cut so well?" (on the Physics stack exchange). After a while, I noticed that over 40 people understood the question as "Why is it so easy to cut paper (...
1
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1answer
53 views
correct interpretation/understanding of this sentence
I have the following 2 sentences:
1- I did not see any other classmates, except/but Michael.
2- I did not see any classmates, except/but Michael
For the first sentence can we understand that the ...
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1answer
28 views
what does the phrase “we see through you like it's glass” mean? [closed]
What does the phrase: "We see through you like it's glass" mean? could you explain, please?
0
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1answer
85 views
Sentences I'm not sure about
I've got sentences I'm not sure about in The Musgrave Ritual by Conan Doyle. Can someone clear it up?
In this case the matter was simplified by Brunton's intelligence being quite first-rate, so ...
0
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1answer
31 views
What is the difference in meaning between the sentences“You can be a singer or a dancer” and “You can either be a singer or a dancer”?
Do the sentences have the same meaning ?If they have same meaning,the use of the word"either" seems somewhat redundant in this particular type of sentences as the meaning still remains intact after ...
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1answer
530 views
What's the meaning of “They know every lick and tittle”?
So I watched Better Call Saul S04E05, Saul said to his client "They know every lick and tittle" for the answer of "Who is listening in the phone"... I couldn't find the meaning of "lick and tittle" ...
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1answer
28 views
What does the phrase “improve one's decision making” in this sentence refer to?
The expectation of intelligent gossip is a powerful motive for serious
self-criticism, more powerful than New Year resolutions to improve
one’s decision making at work and at home.
What does "...
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1answer
128 views
Using a preposition with the word 'grant'
Obedience he had secured, and honor had been granted him...
My question is why is it 'granted him' and not 'granted to him?'
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1answer
75 views
What is the meaning of this quote from Barbara Ehrenreich?
I am currently reading Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By In America by Barbara Ehrenreich, and I read the quote
But Jesus makes his appearance here only as a corpse; the living man,
the wine-...
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1answer
38 views
What's the meaning of the sentence below?
If the world takes the shape of whatever the most powerful AI is programmed (or reprograms itself) to desire, it even opens the possibility of evolution taking a turn for the entirely banal – could an ...
