Questions tagged [idiomatic-language]
is for questions about whether or not a particular phrase or sentence is a usual or common way that fluent English speakers might express something.
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Politicians talk too much
There's this sentence :
"some people think Chicago's nickname is from politicians who talk too much
I need to know what is the meaning of politicians talk too much
And why politicians?
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"This many frogs ......." VS "Such a lot of frogs......." VS "So many frogs ......."
This many frogs out on the slopes does not go unnoticed. Frogs race - BBC Earth (See:1:20-1:26)
Instead of "this many", I tend to use:
"Such a lot of frogs ....."
"So many ...
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return to and go back to something
I’m texting my friend saying “I’m going back to Russell during this wintertime.” What I wanted to suggest is that I started reading Russell’s work again, is it idiomatic to say that? Are there any ...
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Do English speakers never say "snow won't fall"?
I'm familiar with "it won't snow".
But do English speakers never say "snow won't fall"?
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"The layer of haze starts out tenuous": why not "tenuously"?
I watched a YouTube video about physics, and the host said the following.
Similar to the Earth's atmosphere, the layer of haze starts out very tenuous.
If I needed to say something like this, I ...
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Is the use of the construction 'May I have you...' to begin a request unnatural?
Is the use of the construction 'May I have you...' to begin a request unnatural?
I have been using this construction for quite some time, what with 'May you...' not being an appropriate beginning to a ...
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Is "fade apart" an idiomatic phrase for saying "die", "dying" or similar? [closed]
I apologize for any confusion earlier. It seems like you're looking
for alternatives to "die" in phrasal form that ends with "apart."
While this is a somewhat uncommon request and ...
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He didn't need asking twice - what's this grammar?
In one of the Paddington the Bear books, there's a scene where the characters plan to go shopping and explain Paddington what it is like to shop at a market. The following line is:
Paddington didn't ...
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I am a Chinese? [duplicate]
The most rampant and fossilized mistake I've heard from Chinese EFL speakers/learners is "a Chinese" where 'Chinese' was used as a singular noun, for instance, "I am a Chinese".
I ...
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What does this sentence on BBC means: ""All baa myself: Is this Britain's loneliest sheep?"
All baa myself: Is this Britain's loneliest sheep? BBC - Britain's loneliest sheep
What does "All baa myself" mean? I couldn't quite understand it.
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Is it my ears or is it the narrator pronouncing"...JAGGED CLIFFS" something like ".... JAG IL TIFFS."?
Cornered, the seals keep close to the jagged cliffs. BBC (see:1:19-1:23)
I listened to it more than 10 times and suprised to hear the "...jagged cliffs" was pronounced something like ".....
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"Have something to eat" in American English
I wonder what "have something to eat" means in American English and whether the examples below are correct/sound natural.
Is it similar to "have a snack," "have a meal," &...
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"slip free in one clean piece"
When she was five, Harumi lost her parents in a car crash. It was an uncanny collision; a truck crossed over the median into their lane. Harumi was in preschool, rehearsing for a school play. She had ...
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Is the word "entrepreneurship" used correctly here?
I'm doing some exercises with open clauses and there's this sentence:
The first question you need to ask yourself is whether the fulfillment of your dream project is worth quitting your 9-to-5 job. ...
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"Getting shot out" for an object?
I vaguely heard somebody describing broken objects as getting shot out. I briefly looked up dictionaries, and the only "close enough" definition was (well) from Urban Dictionary. I already ...
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Meaning of a poster: "Give up, give in or give everything"
On the wall of a fast-food restaurant is a sign that reads:
"Give up, give in or give everything" KFC-documentary (see 31:20-31:24)
I know the meaning of "give up", "give in&...
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Difference between: "This is as fast as it goes." VS "This is the fastest it can go."
An old lady who is riding on an stairlift to climb upstairs in her home says:
"This is as fast as it goes."
I think, she thinks the stairlift is very slow and it should go faster, but this ...
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Can I use something "for bad"?
The phrase "for good" is often used in sentences like "Use your powers for good".
Would it be idiomatic to use the phrase "for bad" in such a sentence? I very rarely see ...
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Using "What" instead of "How many"?
A model, while being filmed, is also getting her make-up. Vogue (see: 5:57-6:03)
She says: "I have been gettin my makeup done for about, what, two hours?"
When she is saying this, she can't ...
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" How much before?" VS "How earlier" VS "How much earlier?"
I imagined myself talking to a doctor in English, so I made up this conversation.
A: You should take this medicine before the meals.
B: ................? (Here, I need a question that would require ...
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Is it idiomatic to use two past progressives for sequential things when answering a question asked in the past progressive tense?
Supposing somebody asks you: "What were you doing from 6 p.m. until your brother called on you at 9 p.m?
Which answer(s) is/are idiomatic when listing more than one thing?
"I was feeding ...
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How do you question yourself for your failing in the past: "Why couldn't I have done more?" VS "Why couldn't I do more?"
This is from the BBC where a mom, whose daughter has a phobia of talking, tells about her feelings. Phobia of Talking (See:4:49-4:54)
"....Why didn't you notice it. Why couldn't I have done more?&...
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The difference between " considering formalities " with " standing on ceremony "
Which one is used in a situation in which someone is regarding politeness or is shy to join for eating food in someone else's house?
And
Which is more common and friendly?
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Can we use "later" for a future sense like this one: "I will start cooking a little later."
I know that we use "in" rather than "later" for future tense, such as "I will graduate in 6 months" rather than "I will graduate 6 months later".
But when it ...
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Is "well within" an idiomatic expression
In some not-so-formal techical writing of mine I've been argued that something like
"Your requirement is well within our system specification"
with the supposed meaning that "what you ...
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As bad as it sounds vs. As bad as all that sounds
Artists who worked with lead complained of palseys, melancholy, coughing, enlarged retinas, and even blindness. But lead white's density, opacity, and warm tone were irresistable to artists like ...
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What does it mean if the floor of a house "fall through"? Does it mean it goes down onto the next floor down?
"Jaefer says he was at home with his wife and three children when the earthquake struck and "the floor fell through". Earthquake in Morocco
In terms of falling physically, I have seen ...
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Any difference in meaning: "We see these families that ....." / "We see the families that ....?
We see THESE families that are desperate for housing. Council houses (see: 12:19-12:24)
We see THE families that are desperate for housing.
I, as a non-native speaker of English, would think that we ...
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"leaves margin for interpretation"?
Is this statement unusual or unidiomatic (or straightforward incorrect)?
"His ambiguity leaves margin for interpreting it as a good sign".
Here, to "leave a margin for" should be ...
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Is "You smell like sweat." the idiomatic way of saying it?
If you want to say to a close friend, who has sweated too much and is stinking because of that, which do you use?
You smell like sweat.
You smell of sweat.
You smell sweat.
You smell sweaty.
I ...
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How do you say you felt the same when someone said they were delighted: Do you say " "So, did I" OR "So was I."?
This is from a tv show Golden Ladies (see:13:21-13:25) The ladies are talking about their new neighbours(the McDowells) who were there and have just left.
Blanch: Well, I think the McDowells were ...
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What does "out back" mean in this sentence: "It seems there was a little mix up out back."
This is from a famous TV show Golden girls (see:11:10-11:15)
"Well, it seems there was a little mix up out back and Mrs. Clarkson was cremated by mistake."
I looked "out back" up ...
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Is the phrase "Do not bring dangerous goods on board" correct?
I saw the sentence "Do not bring dangerous goods on board" on the window of a train in China.
Is this sentence grammatical English? If the word 'goods' in this sentence were replaced with '...
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What's the meaning of "and on back" [closed]
Sentence: Yes, and your great-grandmother and great-grandfather, and on back.
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Why use Type 3 structure for a present situation: "They would have had lots of training...." instead of "They have had lots of training."
This is from a BBC video, in which people in a spacecraft are shown when they are allowed to unbuckle to experience the zero gravity in a spacecraft. People in a spacecraft (see:00:24-00:30). The ...
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Which do you use to refer to the piled up stuff of a hoarder when you see them all at once: "that all" VS "it all" VS "those all" VS "all those"
A shopping addict is shown all of her stuff -vast amount of items- which is exhibited in a huge place. Upon seeing all of them piled up together, she herself is surprised and says:
Is that honestly ...
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"There are scientists out there actively looking for solutions." What is the function of "....out there..." in the sentence? [duplicate]
This is from the BBC Earth Lab Super volcanoes (see:9:50-9:55)
"It is, however, reassuring to know that there are scientists out there actively looking for solutions."
I think the ".......
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Is the 'a nice' in 'a nice to have' grammatical?
In this context, 'a nice' is used as a noun as 'a must':
Design’s role has moved from a nice to have to a must have to a differentiator
I wonder if the 'indefinite article + adjective' form can ...
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Are both grammatically correct: "Our type of child…" OR "A child of our type…"
This is from a text on parenting the children with hyperactivity and attention deficiency disorders. Parenting
"Our type of child may respond more positively to praise than negative feedback&...
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The old lady says "I liked marbles and tops." What is tops? [closed]
An old lady talks about what she would do when she was young. 101 year old (see:2:08-02:12)
She says: "I liked marbles and tops."
I looked up both words and I found "marbles" and ...
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Which one is more idiomatic: "to be able to see out of both eyes." OR "to be able to see with/in both eyes."?
In a show, some people with eyesight problems are treated. Blind people see for the first time (see:4:14-4:20) One of the patients who can only see in one eye is talking to the presenter. The ...
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A: What are you doing. B: "I am studying a lesson/lesson/lessons/my lessons." Aren't all these answers unidiomatic?
Imagine, you see a non-native speaker sitting at a table with pencil and a book and notebook etc. You think he is either doing his homework or he is preparing for an exam at school.
You ask him: "...
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Any difference between: "I am so excited." AND "I am just so excited."
We know I am so excited. simply means "I'm very excited.", and the word "so" is simply an intensifier.
But, then I sometimes hear "I am just so excited." Halle Bailey (...
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Which sentence is the more idiomatic?
Shall I wait until you are coming back from your vacation?
Shall I wait until you come back from your vacation ?
I think the first one is the more idiomatic because it is not a habit and it is a long ...
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"A doctor helped catch her."--- Why is the verb "to catch" not in passive form, although the "doer of the catching" is not stated?
"A doctor who helped catch her and bring her to justice has told ITV news."ITV news (see: 00:00-00:05)
When I heard this part of the sentence "...a doctor who helped catch her...." ...
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We can't use "here" for a city or country when it is in a picture from above. So, how do we ask someone to guess?
Imagine, you have got postcards of various places (countries, cities, towns etc) and you are now showing your friend those postcards, which have such pictures taken from above. So, when you are ...
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Is there any idiomatic expression for accurate vs. not accurate tools?
When I want to distinguish between two instruments by their accuracy, I'm inclined to say something like "rough tool" or "blunt instrument" to point out that something (e.g. an ...
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for in order to vs. in order to
According to many philosophers, there is a purely logical reason why science will never be able to explain everything. For in order to explain something, whatever it is, we need to
invoke something ...
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(How) can I say 'state of the [non-art]'?
I read the noun 'state of the art' or the adjective 'state-of-the-art' every now and then, but once in a blue moon I saw 'state of the [non-art]'. I cannot remember what the [non-art]'s are, then I am ...
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Is there a difference between "get to the dining room." AND "get over to the dining room"?
This is from a british tv show, where 3 students from state and private schools swap schools for a short time. School swap (see:10:25-10:32)
They should get up, get showered, and get over to the ...
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