Questions tagged [phrase-meaning]
Use this tag for questions about the meaning and usage of a particular phrase, for which a dictionary cannot answer.
2,870
questions
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What does “throw one's hat in the ring for” mean?
I read the following sentence:
Wikipedia has a great list of ORMs that exist for just about any language. That list is missing JavaScript, which is my language of choice, so I will throw my hat in ...
0
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1answer
6 views
What's “a three-one decision”?
I heard the phrase on a American radio. What does "a three-one decision" truly mean?
I figure there might be three people to make one decision. But i'm not quite sure.
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0answers
20 views
What does the phrase “You have a mice nest in your mouth” mean
I was chatting with a colleague and she just said that I have a mice nest in my mouth, what does it mean?
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1answer
38 views
The meaning of 'pipe of the key'
There came a shrill and a whistling sound,
Above, beneath, beside, and around,
Yet leaf ne’er moved on tree!
So that some people thought old Beelzebub must
Have been lock’d out of ...
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2answers
23 views
I'm late vs I'm going to be late
I'm late.
vs
I'm going to be late.
What is the difference between their meanings?
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0answers
10 views
“The last I saw someone” phrase
Is it correct to say “she was in the lab the last I saw a her”? I just want to convey that she was in the lab the last time I saw her. But is the grammar correct? Also does it imply that we will not ...
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0answers
18 views
How to understand “Much the best way” in this context?
"The original?" enquired Xenophilius sharply, and when she nodded, he said, "Well then, why don't you read it aloud? Much the best way to make sure we all understand."
Harry Potter and the ...
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0answers
24 views
In the wake of someone's passing
What does this phrase mean?
In the wake of my great great grandmother's passing.
Does passing mean death also?
If so, then why didn't they just use death so non native English speakers can ...
0
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2answers
49 views
What does “leg breaking” mean?
Could you please help me understand what this phrase "leg breaking" means? Does it relate to violence? Kind of threatening to break the borrower's legs?
Some of these changes were gradual. Moe had ...
3
votes
1answer
282 views
Slang question, what does mean by “horse”?
I've been just happened to have been listening Britney Spears's Oops! I did it again, and what does the mars lander says "Oh there horse" at 0:20?
From the start
The navigator : First, the Mars ...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
“hit my head in short”
I heard of the phrase "hit my head in short" on an American radio. I figure it probably means put/make/explain it in short. But I'm really not sure. I searched it on the web, and I haven't found it ...
0
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1answer
30 views
“His voice cracked with the strain”
His voice cracked with the strain, and they stood looking at each other in the whiteness and the emptiness, and Harry felt they were as insignificant as insects beneath that wide sky.
Harry ...
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5answers
2k views
Can I say “guess what” to acknowledge new information?
I can't remember where I got this from, but it feels deeply correct to me. However it caused a misunderstanding in a chat, and after googling the usage and not finding anything I'm suspecting I might ...
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vote
1answer
37 views
Meaning of “I know it's over 'cause my feet have hit the cold floor”
We listened to the song "Made to love" by Toby Mac in my classroom. Unfortunately, we could not understand the phrase:
I know it's over 'cause my feet have hit the cold floor
Check my reflection, ...
0
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1answer
37 views
meaning of the phrase [duplicate]
Can this phrase be used this way?: to mock at someone who said some kind of nonsense or the way what he did or the way how he looks. Or is it possible?
For example: I can't with/from your stupid ...
1
vote
1answer
38 views
What does “cued to your preferred 5 minutes” mean?
The phrase appeared in the context of an art portfolio requirement.
Still Images. Images should be sized at 1024 x 768 @ 72 DPI. Limit
the total number of still images to 20.
Audio & ...
1
vote
1answer
36 views
The different nuance between “I think~”/“I don't think~”
Is the sentence 2. sounds more..rude-ish??
They convey the same point but the way how the speaker delivers it could change the nuance and I wonder if that is applied to these two sentances~!
I don'...
5
votes
3answers
364 views
Birthplace vs living place
If someone asks me where my hometown is, what should I say?
I live in a country which is not my birth country. I was born in different country.
So which one should I consider as my hometown? The ...
11
votes
5answers
3k views
Someone said to me, “We basically literally did.” What were they trying to express to me?
Someone said to me, "We basically literally did." What were they trying to express to me?
Also, can basically and literally be used in the same sentence?
My points to my language partner:
...
0
votes
1answer
24 views
What's the meaning of “With…looking on ” in this sentence?
It was a good night for science at the 87th Academy Awards ceremony Sunday night. Julianne Moore won the Best Actress prize for her role in Still Alice, a movie that shines a light on Alzheimer’s ...
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1answer
23 views
“to gatecrash smth” meaning
Even though Maxwell gatecrashed society events and made (30) he was photographed with powerful figures such as Russia’s President Gorbachev, he never felt embraced by society.
What is "gatecrashed ...
0
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1answer
32 views
Difference between “don't have + noun” and “don't have any + noun”
In negative sentences, what is the difference between the forms "don't have + noun" and "don't have any + noun"?
Here are two couples of examples:
(With countable nouns)
I don’t have books
I ...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
Is there a real difference between “to mull something over” and “to think something over”?
I've done this exercise focusing on phrasal verbs. There was a sentence, something like this:
I need to ...... it over before I make my decision.
The particle "over" gave me only two choices - mull ...
0
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0answers
33 views
What that means by “I am willing to try the code as is”?
My colleague and I have been working on a software project. I recently proposed some changes to the code base and requested for his review. He then added some comments as below:
Now that I see you ...
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1answer
23 views
What's the meaning of phrase 'or is it?'
What's the meaning of this phrase in this following sentence,
'This is a good book. Or is it?'
As a learner of English, I've recently come across some phrases which can't be found in any of the good ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
“the whole shabang” vs “the whole shebang”
In the vocabulary.com
A shebang is a thing or a group, used in the phrase "the whole shebang." When your teacher says the test will cover the whole shebang, she means everything you've studied is ...
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0answers
24 views
meaning of “bear someone home”
In the book "Native Speaker", there is "This means that you can get drunk, for the sake of building ambience and camaraderie (and for your own taut nerves), but still keep in mind that you haven't ...
0
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1answer
34 views
losing when my mind's astray
I was reading the lyrics of a song called "Dominoes" by Syd Barett, and couldn't understand what he was trying to convey in this verse "Losing when my mind's astray"
Lyrics
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1answer
25 views
What does “working majority” mean in a context?
Actually this is the continuation of this article, which I asked about prior.
And now I am facing a very subtly confusing statement from Boris Johnson.
He says, (from the 4th paragraph)
"If we ...
0
votes
1answer
41 views
Which phrase is more correct?
I have two sentences that are ambiguous to me.
The first sentence is:
I have got a woman at home.
The second sentence is:
I got a woman at home.
The meaning I'm aiming for is the present moment. I ...
1
vote
2answers
37 views
“Pull out a win”
Nevertheless, the Cubs felt giddy about pulling out the win. Anthony Rizzo described it as a season-defining moment. (source)
This line sounds strange, even jarring, to me. To pull out of something ...
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0answers
23 views
On this definition of holding
A tenure; a farm or other estate held of another.
The above is the third definition of holding in this dictionary.
I couldn't make sense of the part in italics, especially on their use of held; is ...
4
votes
1answer
76 views
What is the difference between “This is” and “Here is”?
I mean, is there a difference in the meaning, or the contexts for these sentences?
When using the one or the other one?
My question is about every kind of words. Innert things, or beings, or any ...
0
votes
1answer
27 views
What does the phrase “edges the fabric” mean here?
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "edges the fabric" in the following sentence:
Depending on the look you want to go for, hold your felt sides together using a running stitch (where ...
1
vote
1answer
63 views
What does 'jack your beanstalk' mean?
I'm watching the TV drama 'sex education'. In S01E01, a guy says to his friend 'Everybody is either thinking about shagging, about to shag, or actually shagging, and you can't even jack your beanstalk'...
0
votes
1answer
16 views
Meaning of “if not” in “if not [some trait]”
If I say:
You are well-established if not dominant in your field
am I saying that you're not dominant or that you are?
0
votes
1answer
43 views
what does the phrase “get someone into something” mean?
I am reading a text. A line of it, is as follows:
Your daughter has a cocaine habit. Get her into rehab.
I have searched about the meaning of "get someone into something" and I found somethings. ...
0
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1answer
28 views
what is the meaning of 'that sounds too cynical of him'?
I am reading the Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee.
It has '
He passed the bar immediately, though I know he never intended to practice the law or big corporate business. He wanted the credentials. But ...
0
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0answers
35 views
What means “in mitigation”?
Here is the sentence: In mitigation, I am on the move and posted this from an internet cafe.
I didn't quite grasp the sentence.As I know In mitigation means make something appear less serious.But that ...
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0answers
19 views
What does “ two-way section fare” mean?
I read on https://www.lwb.gov.hk/eng/legco/21032018_6.htm (mirror) (page explaining bus fares in Hong Kong):
On the other hand, two-way section fares are currently applicable to a number of ...
1
vote
1answer
43 views
Is it actually correct to say “They felt themselves quieter”?
I read many times that one shouldn't say: "I feel myself well/badly" etc, because it's incorrect and the native speakers think that you're saying about touching yourself or masturbating.
But recently ...
0
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1answer
36 views
What does “animated madness” mean? [closed]
Could you please help me understand what the author is talking about? I have no idea what "animated madness" means. I don't understand it.
Many of these sequences are short, funny and downright ...
1
vote
1answer
23 views
“ten times the wizard you are” meaning
"I - so what if I did?" said Harry.
"So, Dirk Cresswell is ten times the wizard you are," said Mr Weasley quietly, as the lift sank ever lower. "And if he survives Azkaban, you'll have to answer ...
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votes
1answer
37 views
Meaning of quote
What does mean the first sentence in bold and the second quote?
“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.” (Maya Angelou)
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then ...
1
vote
1answer
27 views
what does “cast the approval” mean?
I don't understand the meaning of the word "cast".
Specifically, for example, in this phrase:
"Cast the approval"
I've never seen this phrase before.
6
votes
5answers
2k views
Grammar from Sherlock Holmes: Count Dracula and Ebenezer Scrooge come to mind
Here are two adjacent sentences from Sherlock Holmes
Few fictional characters have taken on a life of their own outside the pages of their stories the way Sherlock Holmes has.
Count Dracula and ...
0
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1answer
29 views
What does “long a storytelling asset” mean?
I'm not sure whether I'm right or not. I don't understand what "long a storytelling asset" means, but I assume that the whole first sentence says that the animation which used to make storytelling ...
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votes
1answer
36 views
How to talk about official procedures?
How often do you take photographs?
Every day I'd say. I take a photo of one of my children because they
do something funny. Also, nowadays, I have to finish a lot of
government official ...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
What is to trip down the aisle?
Check the box office for great seats! The smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA
MAMMA MIA! A mother. A daughter. 3 possible dads. And a trip down ...
2
votes
1answer
30 views
How to use “back home” phrase?
One can say "get back home" or "went back home" to talk about going back home after hanging out with friends.
In response to this question: Who do you usually like to hang out
with? I say: Back ...
