Questions tagged [phrase-meaning]
Use this tag for questions about the meaning and usage of a particular phrase, for which a dictionary cannot answer.
1
vote
1answer
14 views
“Score on points”
A sentence from this NYT article sounds a bit stilted. Why is the preposition on used here rather than simply "scored points"? My understanding: A person/thing scores (intransitive, active) on a ...
2
votes
1answer
30 views
What does “come up through the system” mean?
This is a scene from the movie Southpaw:
Judge: The child has no other family, is that right?
Attorney: Uh, no, Your Honor. Uh, both my client and his wife came up through the system.
...
2
votes
2answers
35 views
Immediate family vs Extended family
I am little bit confuse with the definition of extended family and immediate family. I have been living with my husband for three years in a apartment. Now in respect to this statement which one is my ...
-2
votes
1answer
30 views
Word choice for “Educationally Enriched”
Is there any word which replace the phrase "Educationally enriched"? I was trying to write an essay where I defined a state where every people are educated. To define that I was taking help of phrase ...
0
votes
1answer
11 views
Usage of the word 'TOGGLE'
The word 'toggle' itslef means switching between two states. But is it proper to use explicitly like 'toggle ON' or 'toggle OFF' ? How the usage for that word should happen?
0
votes
3answers
24 views
What does the phrase “right into the corner” mean here?
Here is a sentence from a football game app:
If you bend the ball right into the corner you’ll get triple the
points.
I am not sure about the meaning of the phrase right into the corner. Does it ...
0
votes
3answers
30 views
We have vs We do have
What is the difference between
We have
and
We do have?
Has it same meaning or different meanings?
0
votes
0answers
8 views
What do ‘Slide Away’ and ‘Slide In’ mean?
These are famous lines from a song called Slide Away by Oasis
‘Slide away and give it all you've got’
‘Slide in baby together we’ll fly’
and I have no clue what they mean. I'm always confused when ...
0
votes
0answers
16 views
Structure of “as in”
When I ask question by using examples, they often use "as in your example X" If they confirm my examples . Is it some kind of reduced phrase? or "as in" means "for example" ?
For instance:
Me: Can I ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
“As is + noun or adjective”
I think I understand the meaning of this structure with noun "as is + noun" but I don't really understand when it used with adjective "as is + adjective".
1- But she’s also finding that the acting ...
0
votes
1answer
10 views
meaning of “to go by six-forty-five”
But she doesn’t really believe these silent Saturday-morning appearances have anything
to do with early-onset Alzheimer’s; on any given weekday morning Harvey Stevens is
ready and raring to go by ...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
What does it mean: “The dance and the simple video are everything”?
Here is the full phrase "But honestly the dance and the simple video are everything", and i took it from comments (on youtube) to this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au8QGTiPhEw
Could someone ...
1
vote
1answer
22 views
What's the meaning of “to ask the indulgence of someone”?
In the book 'the little prince' by Antoine de Saint Exupéry, I found the expression 'I ask the indulgence of the children'. What's the meaning of that?
I'm not sure if it means 'I ask the children ...
0
votes
1answer
5 views
What does it mean to say “ i think it's safe to say ( that ) … ”?
What NAm/BrE Native speakers exactly mean when they say " i think it's safe to say ( that ) ... " ?
I mean if it's used in only one possible correct way and therefore doesn't need any further or ...
0
votes
1answer
18 views
is being offered
My question is a part of an offical form that I’m trying to fill out.
It goes:
I further certify that the principal alien is being offered the following position:
DOS Notification Date:
What does ...
-1
votes
1answer
45 views
What does keeping one's arms covered up mean?
I was reading Eurotrash by Irvine Welsh. Richard in the novel says "You know what I mean. You keep your arms covered up." and I don't know what it means.
0
votes
1answer
23 views
What does “got carried off the field” imply or mean in this sentence?
I couldn't get the implication or metaphor of the phrase in the following sentence; is it a slang?
The context is :
Bruce Banner, the Hulk, got under the mind control of Wanda, and he went rogue, ...
2
votes
1answer
26 views
Here in the context below I use past and future tense together in one sentence. Is it wrong?
Do watch this movie. It won't leave you disappointed and the closure of this film truly lived up to the expectation.
1
vote
1answer
27 views
What does “In past terms” mean?
I am learning this MIT course.
The professor said:
In past terms we compared a human genome to a rat genome, and
discovered they were pretty similar.
What does "In past terms" mean?
I listened ...
-1
votes
1answer
19 views
Can I say “class notes” instead of “lecture notes”?
Can I say class notes instead of lecture notes? Do these phrases have the same meaning?
0
votes
1answer
13 views
What does the phrase “soar off ramps” mean here?
Here is a sentence from a game app's description:
In the game, you soar off ramps to beat competitors to the finish
line.
I am not sure about the meaning of the phrase soar off ramps here. How ...
-1
votes
1answer
17 views
What does the phrase “ride every wall” mean here?
Here is a sentence from a drift race game's description:
If you can control your car’s tune, that’s when you can think about
throwing it in hard and start riding every wall you see.
I am not ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
“coming out of the head”
A character in the movie The Kingdom says:
They celebrated her graduation at the IHOP until some townie called Janet something. I don't know, something not very nice. So the townie didn't see Fran ...
0
votes
1answer
13 views
What does the phrase “surge of a boost” mean here?
Here is a sentence from a drift race game's description:
If you want to feel the surge of a boost as you enter a corner, think
of investing in a turbo.
I am not sure about the meaning of the ...
1
vote
1answer
26 views
“the corner of his next speech” meaning in this context?
... "You're - you're not a hoax, then?"
It had been his last, desperate hope.
"No," said Fudge gently. "No, I'm afraid I'm not. Look."
And he had turned the Prime Minister's teacup ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
Meaning of “with a guilty air”
Next morning I woke at my usual hour, feeling like a bottle of champagne. I put out my feet and invented a long conversation in which Mrs. Right talked of the trouble she had with her own father till ...
-1
votes
1answer
50 views
“I can SORT OF understand something”. How SORT OF is used here?
What Native Am.Eng Speakers exactly mean when they say
"I can sort of understand it."
I mean, how sort of here correctly used in this context?
I mean, if it has only one possible correct ...
1
vote
1answer
18 views
sense of purpose in life vs purpose in life
What is the difference between "sense of purpose in life" vs "purpose in life".
A person with few responsibilities might lose his sense of purpose in life.
I was told that omitting "sense of" is ...
10
votes
5answers
2k views
What does the expression “right on the tip of my tongue” mean?
After googling, I'm not really sure what exactly it means. I have two conclusions:
It means that I don't remember an easy word or a name right now although I already know it and I was able to ...
0
votes
1answer
14 views
Is “stick your mouth to a hole” idiomatic?
I am not sure how idiomatic it is. When someone says "stick your mouth to a hole" does he mean literally as in put your mouth in contact with the hole or close to it? I thought it was an exaggeration, ...
2
votes
1answer
26 views
what is the difference between “that shirt looks good on you” & “you look good in that shirt”?
I often hear people say "you look good in that shirt"
But recently, I have heard a native speaker say "that shirt looks good on you".
So:
what is the difference between "that shirt looks good on ...
1
vote
1answer
37 views
Meaning/usage of “it's not that bad”
What do people mean when they say:
"I don't think it was that bad."
Does this phrase have only one possible correct meaning or use? Does it require further context to be provided in order to ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
I would / Would I / If I would [on hold]
What's the difference between the 3 sentences below, are they all correct to use ? Is the meaning the same for each one ?
I would have seen it with my own eyes I still wouldn't believe it.
...
0
votes
1answer
17 views
Help to understand “if nothing else”
HALO: The Fall of Reach
If nothing else, Cortana liked a challenge.
Does it mean
Maybe, challenge was Cartana's only hobby.
?
0
votes
1answer
15 views
What does “at the head of” mean in this sentence?
I read a sentence in a chapter in my book which was:
But now - now I march at the head of my retainers to Lucknow to try and drive you from the country.
I don't know what "at the head of" means ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
Prove to be or be proved to be?
I have a hard time telling those phrases apart. "Something/someone proves to be" and "something/someone be proved to be"
1- After 10 years in jail he was proved to be innocent.
2- After 10 ...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
“kill on the sawdust” meaning
What does “kill on the sawdust” mean here?
‘I thought killing was easy for you,’ said Laurent. His voice was rather quiet. ‘I thought you did it without thinking.’
‘I’m a soldier,’ said Damen, ‘and ...
0
votes
1answer
39 views
What does “the ugly truth prevails” mean?
As you probably aware the ugly truth prevails that we cannot achieve our goals without the necessary financial support...
(from 7 Years Later, volume 1 "Shadows From the Past", page 3 by ...
2
votes
1answer
37 views
meaning of “he had it all made up for him by other people”
At teatime, "talking to Daddy" began again, complicated this time by the fact that he had an evening paper, and every few minutes he put it down and told Mother something new out of it. I felt this ...
1
vote
1answer
16 views
What is the meaning of high/low threshold for something, e.g. pain, stress tolerance etc.?
For example:
The fearlessness hypothesis proposes that people with Anti-Social Personality Disorder have a "higher threshold for fear" than most individuals.
Reference: https://en.m.wikiversity.org/...
0
votes
2answers
48 views
What does the phrase “move-blocking seven of hearts beneath the six” mean here? [closed]
I am not sure about the meaning of the phrase"move-blocking seven of hearts beneath the six" in the following sentence:
You can drop that move-blocking seven of hearts beneath the six, but
it ...
2
votes
3answers
24 views
Where is the subject?
"Donald Trump’s desire to nominate Mr Cain had sparked a backlash, even among Republicans worried that the president was seeking to undermine the independence of the central bank by appointing his ...
9
votes
6answers
2k views
Please, smoke with good manners
In Tokyo, I saw this sign next to the smoking area.
It says
Please smoke with good manners in the area surrounded by planters.
The part "with good manners" sounds a bit weird to me. Is it just ...
0
votes
1answer
25 views
The meaning or the usage of The phrase “ I'm beginning to think ( that) … ”
When a native American English speaker says the following phrase
I'm beginning to think ( that ) ...
I still don't really know if they always used it in the same way regardless of whatever ...
11
votes
5answers
1k views
a sore throat vs a strep throat vs strep throat
If my throat is red and it feels painful to swallow, I say
I have a sore throat.
Recently, I've come across "strep throat". It's an infection and it doesn't seem to be used interchangeably with "...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
How to say that Japanese proverb in English?
I am reading James Clavel - Shogun and they said the following in my native language which I translate literally - “ The wolf to be fit and the lamb to be whole” I am not sure if in english language ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
“Wow! It's already the end of April” “Yeah, you're right. Time …”: Time flies and whatelse?
I was wondering about the difference between these sentences. They all translate the German "Der Zeit vergeht so schnell" or the Italian "il tempo vola".
I would like to know if:
all of them are ...
0
votes
1answer
10 views
Does “remembered to” mean that the action was done?
John remembered to call Alex.
Does this sentence imply that John called Alex? Or does it merely mean that John remembered that he needs to make a call? That is, is the sentence
John remembered to ...
0
votes
1answer
48 views
What's the meaning of “while the bands play” in this sentence?
It's all I can do to sit still while the bands play. I can’t believe Mirror Boy was in the system. I don’t know if he was when he died or not. (The Ghost Files, by Apryl Baker)
Who's "thinking" here ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
Meaning of “Let's move it!”
"I'm making Chicken Pilaf tonight," the baker's wife chimes in. "I hope you like it."
"Wonderful, wonderful," the Count says, with a smile, as he pushes her aside into some laundry. Then, ...
