New answers tagged meaning-in-context
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Song lyrics can be difficult to analyze since the artist often compromises clarity in order to fit the structure of a song but I'll give it a shot. Basically, he's saying that he knows what is right, implying he should do what is right, but also recognizing that doing what is right might not work out to his benefit and 'get him'.
Often 'to get someone' ...
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Generally, this meaning of "get me" is something like "affect me in a strong way, unexpectedly".
I'm normally easygoing, but screaming children really get me.
Here, it means screaming children irritate me a lot, where other things generally don't.
Titanic is a terrible movie, but when Jack dies, it gets me every time.
Here, it means I ...
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The correct idiom is lends itself to something.
It is similar to facilitates or makes possible or helps create. So a rough paraphrase of your sentence is this:
Social media as a networked economy helps social activism and online communities to exist.
Without itself, the idiom is broken. I'm sure the author knew what they meant, but they simply wrote a poor ...
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So this does not go unanswered this collects some information from the comments.
I said
It means literally what it says. The inside of a clock would have been enclosed for a long time and smell musty. So did the hall.
This was confirmed by, amongst others, Kate Bunting and BeginTheBeguine who pointed out the smell in antique clocks probably comes from the ...
3
Yes, the phrase in commas is a subordinate clause and can be removed from the main phrase without losing the meaning, so the answer to "who's lit?" is Dexter (as is answering "who's holding Billy?"). The meaning is that Dexter was lit from behind, so the light source is behind him (in the bathroom) and the metallic steam is a metaphor for ...
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I suspect this is actually a misunderstanding and the commentator said “plunk” instead of pluck. “Plunk” is used quite often in sports to signify an easier or rather unremarkable goal.
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"wife of 49 years" refers to the amount of time she was his wife, not the amount of time she was alive: they had been married for 49 years when he died. Presumably she is much older than 49.
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The adverb "urgently" has a very similar meaning to the prepositional phrase "with urgency". So you could use either in this context.
I'm not quite sure that "urgent" is the right meaning. Perhaps "right now" or "right away", or "without delay" would fit the sense better. "Urgently" ...
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This is how I'd understand that sentence.
First half: The airline has said no to the the request for refund the travel agency made.
Second half: Please know that all the policies and procedures that the airline has, including any fees are still applicable and will likely be applied.
"all ... including all fees apply" means that all fees are still ...
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Here, positive means certain. Please see Lexico
positive
ADJECTIVE
3 With no possibility of doubt; definite.
The subject accidentally fell through the hole used by firemen to get to ground level quickly. Before he hit the concrete floor, though, he was able to grasp the pole that the firemen slide down, and break his fall.
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The previous statement said that indifference is the one thing that can't be faked. So I interpret "But you are faking it" to mean "But you are faking indifference" (i.e., you're not actually indifferent, you're only trying to look like you are).
"Rule" is not a verb here, it's a noun. It's like saying "That is the number ...
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Usually very little difference.
In this context, "over" is an adverb. If you say "He went over to his friend" it adds the sense that his friend was "over there", it emphasises the change in state. For example you might use "go over" if you "go over to your friends house", since his house is a different house ...
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"Hilda has been tormented by girls" would be more usual.
Bedeviled is rarer and it tends to be more abstract or metaphorical. Looking at the examples from Merriam-Webster, one they give is a common usage "bedevilled by problems"; they also quote "The theory bedevils scientists, none of whom have been able to prove it true or false.&...
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You are currently not supersonic but I want to make you that way. This is from Queen's lyrics and the true meaning is that the singer wants to make you more that you currently are. He is full of life and wants you to be the same.
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The correct term to use for this is a graft. The term was originally used in horticulture, where a part of one plant is grafted onto another. One particular application is that most grapes are produced on vines where the scionwood of one species is grafted onto rootstock of a different species.
In recent years, the term has also been used in surgery, where ...
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In the film, a "CIA TECH: The photograph is particularly dark. As we can see, there is a Caucasian man and a Negro woman. The resolution breaks down pretty quickly. The film stock is definitely Russian, low grade."
The technician is looking at a photograph. The photograph is on Russian paper stock. These are usually gelatin silver prints. The stock ...
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I'm going to disagree with the other answers slightly, I think in this context "well, that's something" is a politely neutral response to a clearly evasive, slightly surprising answer.
Remember this is small talk; Ronan isn't a close friend, he's a new acquaintance that has just found out (or surmised) that they are students. So he's asking a low-...
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Yes, the meaning would change. Get to is an auxiliary verb which means:
to have an opportunity to do something:
I never get to see her now that she’s moved to California. (Cambridge)
It can be followed by a passive verb, as indicated in the comments.
Now, to have an opportunity to be called something is not the same with being called something, so not ...
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Both of these sentences would be considered grammatically correct; as you've surmised, however, they have slightly different contextual applications.
"In the scorching heat" implies that the speaker is referencing a specific or known situation. For example, if it is currently very hot outside, telling someone that you are dealing with "the ...
1
Yes, it's legitimate to say, "He's two grades senior to me." It's not idiomatic English though, and sounds old-fashioned. "He's two grades my senior" is more idiomatic, but still old-fashioned.
Natural English of today would be
"He's two grades ahead of me" or
"He's two grades above me."
For the reverse situation, ...
3
"Tonight is a work night" is -- most likely -- an allusion to the more common phrase "Tonight is a school night".
"Tonight is a school night" is often used to indicate that one must get to bed early tonight in order to get up early tomorrow for school.
From Cambridge dictionary
school night
noun [ C ]
US /ˈskuːl ˌnaɪt/ UK /...
3
Healthy exits on the investing world means that the company has generated a lot more money via an "exit event" than what was invested in them, so the investors can make a considerable profit. On the link above there are several "exit strategies" listed (going public, being acquired, and so on) and "healthy" is meant in its "...
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Queen Victoria succeeded to the throne in 1837, so her Golden Jubilee (50 years) was celebrated in 1887 and her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. There do not appear to have been any particular celebrations for her Silver Jubilee (25 years), as there were for the present Queen in 1977, so the 1897 one was thought of as 'the second jubilee'.
https://www.royal.uk/...
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The meaning of "blink" in this context is to be slightly shocked in reaction to something unexpected and disturbing. You may move your head back a bit and close your eyes slightly longer than a normal blink while you understand what you've just learned.
In image form:
https://giphy.com/gifs/what-guy-white-blinking-RILsqUte1MME7TzQJ9
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Even people who have watched the world of business for a long time, and seen enough strange things to lose interest, would have been surprised when they heard that Home Depot's board of directors handed Bob Nardelli two hundred million dollars.
The meaning of 'jaded' that you need is
not having interest or losing interest because you have experienced
...
1
The sentence is grammatical, but, as you point out, it does not literally make sense.
This is the causative use of "have."
A has B do X
This means that A did something so that B did X. It is indeed active.
A has X done
This means that A did something so that someone unspecified did X. It is indeed passive.
Perfectly grammatical forms. ...
2
I take it to mean your doing those things that require being able to grab things, from direct care like brushing to indirect like opening a can or working a doorknob.
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It helps to know this was published in 1835. Some words are being used in ways that are no longer common.
"Anticipate" here means something like, "Someone did it first."
"Design" means something like "goal" or "plan" and explains what was done first.
So I gather the whole meaning is something like this:
He ...
1
Structured time is when the children have a particular timetable, for example going to an after-school club. A family might also structure homework time. "You do homework from 5:30 to 6:30..."
Unstructured time is when the children don't have anything particular to do, and can play, relax, watch tv etc. The suggestion is that the mother should ...
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This is a difference in British and American english. "Team" is a collective noun, that is, a singular noun (team, not teams) that refers to more than one entity (multiple players). In general, in British English you can use either singular verb forms (or it in your example) or plural verb forms (or they in your example) depending on if you are ...
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There's no hard-and-fast rule about which one you should use, but someone focusing either on the team as a unit --or on the country itself-- is more likely to choose "it", and someone focusing on the individual team members would be more likely choose "they".
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The
morning - noun used attributively, i.e. operating as an adjective
rain - noun "the morning rain" = the rain in the morning
clouds (verb) - to cloud - to obscure or cover with mist or to cause the misting or obscuring of something.) Probably a reference to the condensation that appears on the inside of a window pane when rain falls on it.
up - ...
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It's a full sentence. "Clouds up" is a phrasal verb (transitive, with "my window" as its object), and "the morning rain" is of course the subject.
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As computer game technology has increased, graphics have become higher in resolution. Terms like 'chunky' and 'blocky' have often been used to describe computer graphics using larger pixel sizes, either in comparison to contemporary graphics of the time, or by modern standards.
Back in the 1980s, game designers often had to make a choice between a wide ...
0
AHD "make"
The sense is any of these:
a. To draw a conclusion as to the significance or nature of: don't know what to make of the decision.
b. To calculate as being; estimate: I make the height 20 feet.
c. To consider as being: wasn't the problem some people made it.
So, in that context, is means that the typical woman spoken of sees the ...
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Randomhead’s answer is correct: “it” is ”the nuclear industry”. But you’re right to wonder whether “data” was meant. In theory, “long-term exposure” and “cancer” are also possibilities.
I wanted to add some more detail—some extra guidance on working out what pronouns like “it” refer to. I was going to make a comment on that answer, but then I kept coming up ...
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It’s kind of both, but I had never really thought of that until I read your question!
My first interpretation was “suggest”. The author is introducing a new term that he suggests to the audience. He hopes the audience will accept it and use it for future discussions.
But “intend” is also suitable! This is a less common sense of the word “propose”, which I ...
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Yes. It means something between "suggest" and "intend":
AHD propose
To put forward for consideration, discussion, or adoption; suggest: propose a change in the law.
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the nuclear industry and the authorities responsible for monitoring it are notoriously secretive
Usually you can look to the nearest preceding noun to find what the pronoun refers to. Here is no exception, and the it refers to the nuclear industry.
Note that power plants, data, and authorities are all plural, unlike it which is singular. In English, ...
1
Either would be understood, at least in US usage. They can even be stated with "the math lesson" left off, "Do you get this?"/"Are you getting this?"
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It is not very clear, but here are two possibilities.
First Thought
Adults have many responsibilities and meetings and places to be and money to earn and errands to run. It can seem like you never have any time to do anything just because you want to do it. Children, on the other hand, have fewer responsibilities and can spend a lot of time playing and ...
2
"Experience" is a recent buzzword that means "place where you can have an experience worth sharing on social media". That's to say, people will go there not necessarily to enjoy it, but to post pictures of video of themselves there to Instagram or TikTok.
This new meaning of "experience" hasn't caught on among the general public ...
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This one is a highly context specific instance. In this case, Citrovia is an art installation piece. This type of art is meant to be walked through and enjoyed and maybe even touched.
Thus it is "experienced," instead of simply looked at or attended.
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The first one would be more suggestive of someone who loves NYC, but doesn't necessarily want to live there.
The second one would suggest the person does want, or need, to live there.
In practical usage, this difference would be very small and almost interchangeable.
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Circumscription is often used to hint at dodgy doings.
because is pretty neutral.
ostensibly because conveys a strong suggestion that a phoney reason was given
on the grounds that is somewhere in between
fussy or pompous people like to use big phrases, which is another reason to use the plainest form that accords with your meaning
-2
The phrase:
They will help me...
Is unlikely to be accurate. This should be more correctly stated as:
I believe they will help me understand the subject more...
In the second case, something like:
I feel as though your advice will give me more...
People do, however, often use such language in casual conversation so you will likely hear and even read ...
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tl;dr– The terms "because" and "on the grounds" mean different things. "Because" is for causation, "on the grounds" is for justification. Ideally causation and justification align in simple legal scenarios, allowing the shorter "because" to be favored. Use of "on the grounds" might suggest that ...
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As many others have stated, the basic answer to your question is "'on the grounds that' doesn't suggest the reason is invalid". However, I disagree rather firmly with the currently top-voted answer (that the distinction is about the reporter knowing or agreeing the rationale was correct).
The phrase "on the grounds that" is used here for ...
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"After the fact" is an idiom meaning "after the event occurred".
Like if you say, "The boss gave his approval after the fact", that means he approved it after it was already done, rather than giving permission in advance.
In this case, I'd have to see more context, but I'd guess that Mr Warren is saying that it would be ...
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The year-round population refers to people who live in a place the whole year. This excludes for example tourists, who stay in a place for a few weeks and then go home again.
For example, Wikipedia says about Martha's Vineyard
The 2010 census reported a year-round population of 16,535 residents, (...) although the summer population can swell to more than ...
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