Questions tagged [meaning]
This tag is for questions about the meaning of a word, which a dictionary cannot answer. If the question is about the meaning of a word that can't be understood outside its phrase or sentence, the "meaning-in-context" tag should be also used; for the meaning of a phrase, use the "phrase-meaning" tag instead. Your question should normally include the dictionary definition of the word, and explain how the dictionary does not answer your question.
11,219
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What does the line "So long and thanks for all the fish!" mean?
I got a mail with the subject "So long and thanks for all the fish!" from my Manager. What does it mean?
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3
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Does "a couple" always mean two?
Today I said some event was a couple of weeks away. A native speaker from Australia corrected me and said, no it's at least three weeks away. What followed was a discussion as to whether a couple ...
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votes
7
answers
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Meaning of "respecting" in "no law respecting an establishment of religion"
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably ...
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votes
12
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Difference between "illegal" and "very illegal"
From my understanding of English, "very" means "more than the usual" or "to a higher extent".
I've seen on several places the expression "very illegal", such as here as an example: https://youtu.be/...
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votes
5
answers
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What's the difference between "last" and "latest"?
When should I use "last" and "latest"?
I found two examples:
What was the last book you read?
Karen was always up to date on the latest fashions
It seems both mean "the most recent". Can we use ...
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56
votes
4
answers
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What is the difference among "Sign up", "Sign in" and "Log in"?
As I said in the title, I am wondering what is the meaning of the following expressions, and what are the differences between them ?
"Sign up"
"Sign in"
"Log in"
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votes
6
answers
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When a girl mentions her girlfriend, does she mean it like lesbian girlfriend?
I have a classmate and sometimes she says something like "I told my girlfriend that she has to blah blah".
Does this wording imply a lesbian relationship, or is she referring to a her best friend (a ...
- 1,433
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votes
3
answers
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What does "viewer discretion is advised" mean?
Viewer discretion is advised.
I've stumbled upon this phrase a few times (mainly at the beginning of video clips or movie trailers), but I'm still not quite sure what it really expresses. What is ...
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49
votes
6
answers
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'Ask away' - what does 'away' mean?
“Sir,” said Harry, reminding himself irresistibly of Voldemort, “I
wanted to ask you something.”
“Ask away, then, my dear boy, ask away. . . .”
In this sentence, I don't know what does 'away' ...
- 2,409
48
votes
2
answers
213k
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How many meanings does "I am in" have?
I have heard the phrase ‘I am in’ or ‘I am absolutely in’ (and similar variations) several times.
As I understand it, it means I agree with the idea and I will join you in your efforts.
Recently, I ...
- 1,475
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votes
8
answers
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What is 'explain like I'm five'?
In my recent question, I got this link in an answer.
Here, 'Explain like I'm five' is written. I tried to find its meaning on the Internet, but I got only an acronym ELI5.
Is 'explain like I'm ...
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votes
4
answers
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What is understood if I say "I'm an English teacher"?
What is understood if I say "I'm an English teacher"?
"I teach English", or
"I'm a teacher coming from England"?
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votes
3
answers
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What is the difference between IMO and IMHO and IHOP?
I was reading a public forum, and I saw the following abbreviations:
IMO
IMHO
IHOP
As far as I see, these are interchangeable somehow, but I don't understand the correct usage of them.
Just assuming ...
- 1,122
41
votes
9
answers
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"co-worker" vs. "colleague"
What is the difference between "co-worker" and "colleague"?
In my company there is an employee whose name is Bob. But Bob and I, we don't know each other. In this case, is Bob my "co-worker" or "...
- 649
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votes
5
answers
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What is the difference between "do you like" and "would you like"?
Do you like candy?
Would you like some candy?
Do you like walking?
Would you like to go for a walk?
What is the difference? And are they the same or not? Do they any use in different situations?
- 4,257
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votes
4
answers
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"The first time I met my wife I knew she was a keeper. She was wearing massive gloves" - Alun Cochrane
What is the pun in this joke "The first time I met my wife I knew she was a keeper. She was wearing massive gloves" by Alun Cochrane
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votes
4
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Why would you say "it changed me" instead of "it changed myself" here?
I was correcting a sentence written by a Japanese friend, and I corrected one of his sentences to:
"Learning foreign languages changed me".
He asked me why he could not use "myself" instead. I am ...
Kazemi
34
votes
7
answers
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What does "He has insurance, but Christ" mean?
He has insurance, but Christ.
Could you please tell me what the meaning of phrase above is?
I think that if the writer said "He has no insurance, but Christ" it would be correct.
The full text is ...
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34
votes
4
answers
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"Not funny 'ha-ha'", what does Siri mean?
When I say to Siri, the virtual assistant from Apple, "Ok, Google," or "Hey Cortana," Siri replies:
Very funny. I mean, not funny "ha-ha", but funny.
I don't know how I should interpret this ...
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34
votes
3
answers
11k
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What does "this will date me" mean?
What does the phrase "this will date me" mean?
I searched for it here on "English Language Learners" and on Google but I could not find the meaning.
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8
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The grammar of "Stop Asian hate"
I have seen many people on the Internet from America sharing the sign “Stop Asian Hate”.
I know they mean “Stop hate against Asian people”, but why don't they say “Stop anti-Asian hate”?
I also see ...
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4
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What is the difference between "hug" and "embrace"?
What is the difference between hug and embrace?
Hug:
Squeeze (someone) tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection.
Embrace:
Hold (someone) closely in one's arms, esp. as a sign of ...
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1
answer
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What's the difference between words "number", "count", "amount" and "quantity"? [closed]
I just can't understand when i should use one of these words and when another. They are too similar, but looks like they are not absolutely the same. So what is the difference between them?
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votes
10
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Why does "graphic" mean violent or gory?
My German friend asked me why "graphic" means "violent or gory", as in "graphic content" or "graphic language".
(Related, but not the same question: What‘s does ...
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votes
3
answers
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How many flies does it take to screw in a light bulb?
I encountered this lightbulb joke today, but I can’t figure out why it is funny:
Q: How many flies does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Two, but I don't know how they got in there.
My best ...
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votes
1
answer
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What's the meaning of " you're being G.O. Sixteened."?
Some of the lines of the American drama Manifest that confused me:
It was said by a Policewoman boss to his subordinate
Look, you're being G.O. Sixteened. Do you understand? They catch you lying, ...
- 1,157
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votes
6
answers
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What does "One CPU is going to 'smoke' another CPU" mean?
I faced the following sentence:
You really can’t say a 4.1GHz FX-8350 is going to smoke a 3.5GHz Core i7-3770K because in a hell of a lot of workloads the 3.5GHz Core i7 is going to dominate.
I ...
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answers
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Difference between "where are you from" and "where do you come from"
What is the difference between "where are you from" and "where do you come from"?
Are they the same? Are they used in the same situations or not?
When you see someone for the first time which one ...
- 4,257
28
votes
1
answer
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"Crashing at the Y" What does it mean?
I heard in the movie Adventureland:
Em Lewin : So what's the plan?
James Brennan : I'm gonna crash at the Y for a week, I'm gonna look for a shitty job, and I don't know.
IMDB has a longer ...
- 18.8k
27
votes
3
answers
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Is there any difference between "temporary" and "provisional"?
The English dictionary shows that either temporary or provisional indicates the short time. Therefore, I get confused about which is more proper in the following sentence:
Any physical theory is ...
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4
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what is the difference between "yet" and "still"?
what is the difference between "yet" and "still"?
When we can use "still"? and when we can use "yet"?
Are they synonyms or not?
"The plan could yet succeed." Can I use "still" in that sentence ...
- 4,257
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votes
3
answers
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Difference between "uptown", "downtown" and "midtown"
I've noticed a frequent usage of the words uptown and downtown while watching movies made in the USA. Also the word midtown is seldom used.
What is the difference between them? Is possible they can ...
- 1,027
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votes
3
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What does "Yes, you can. But you may not." mean?
In a cultural function, some seats were reserved for the distinguished persons. But an ordinary spectator wanted to have one of those reserved seats which were empty. He said to the guard, "Can I sit ...
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Does "upset victory" mean "a victory that people are not happy about"?
I'm reading a book Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Builder. When it comes to the word acme, the author gives the following example:
Last Saturday's upset victory over Michigan may prove to have been the ...
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votes
8
answers
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Is there any difference between friendly and kind?
A music teacher is portrayed as follows:
“She talks to everyone. She always says hello.”
Thus, is she friendly or kind?
Cambridge Dictionary defines friendly as
behaving in a pleasant, ...
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votes
2
answers
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What's the pun in "Clowns divorce. Custardy battle.”?
What is the pun in this joke?
Clowns divorce. Custardy battle
by Simon Munnery
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"I don't give a rip!" What's a "rip"?
The title is pretty self-explanatory, but let me give some detail.
I'm a native English speaker from the USA. I know exactly what that statement means and how to use it. I heard my Pastor use it ...
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2
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Any chances "spell" means "pronounce"?
Inspired by this question of mine and that @BenKovitz suggested that I should ask a new question, I attempt to do so. Here goes:
The Persian Wikipedia (Persian: ویکیپدیا، دانشنامهٔ آزاد Vikipedia,...
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What does 'aye' mean in this context?
So, I'm actually a native American English speaker, but I can't figure out what 'aye' could mean in this song.
"At the sad decree...they'll depart for aye", "for alas I'm doomed...for ...
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votes
4
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Why does the phrase "drop dead gorgeous" mean "very gorgeous"?
I came across the phrase Drop Dead Gorgeous which means very gorgeous or good-looking.
Why does the above phrase have this meaning? How do the given words relate to the meaning?
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What does web-mistress imply as a job title
I love that none needs my permission to take my code and do something
cool with it, and someone else can do the same with that code. I love
that an "end user" is usually only a few hours work away ...
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6
answers
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Does "49er" mean "A 49-year-old man"?
Is it right to say "I was talking to a 49er" to aim that "I was talking to a 49-year-old man"?
I know that it's meaningless to say it, but my question is:
"Is (age)er = (age)-year-old man"?
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4
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What is the meaning of the phrase "tack against"?
I have come across it in this video. It is at 4 minute and 28 second.
Along the way we are also going to try to understand some of what is wrong with the way our information feeds are currently ...
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3
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What does "I made him a cake" mean?
Is it correct sentence below?
And what does it mean? Also, how is it working grammatically?
I made him a cake.
I made a cake for him.
I baked a cake using him. (Sounds so horrible!)
To me, 1 is ...
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votes
5
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Why blame the Australians?
I noticed the following comments under a hot meta post: Downvoting questions from new users
I agree this is horribly bad form. I blame the Australians. – Andrew
But @Andrew, as you yourself ...
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votes
2
answers
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Strange omission of "to be": "The ground was hard and the rime thick and crisp on the grass."
I encountered this sentence in Cambridge Dictionary:
The ground was hard and the rime thick and crisp on the grass.
I can't figure it out why there's no any verb after "the rime". It just ...
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votes
4
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What does “stop by my desk later” mean?
What does the phrase
stop by my desk later
mean? For example:
I can email you the link. Or stop by my desk later, and I can show you some photos.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
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votes
5
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What does "there lived here then" mean?
There lived here then, away at the North, a beautiful princess, who was also a powerful sorceress.
The sentence is cited from The Wizard of Oz, page 37.
What do the words in bold mean? Thank you!
- 1,443
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votes
3
answers
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How to use the "that being said"
I sometimes see the phrase "that being said" and I wish to know a little more about it. Especially, when and how can we use this phrase?
Is there a difference if we shorten it to "that said"? In what ...
- 24.9k
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votes
5
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What is the meaning of "taking in each other's washing"
Of course your existence matters to other people—your parents and
others who care about you—but taken as a whole, their lives have no
point either, so it ultimately doesn't matter that you matter ...
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