Questions tagged [phrase-meaning]
This tag is for questions related to the meanings of phrases, particularly their definitions and nuances.
1,594
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In saying "how things ought to be how they ought to be..." is the use of "ought to be" redundant? [closed]
Below is a quote from Herbert Simon (italics his, not mine)-
"...the designer, is concerned with how things ought to be how they ought to be in order to attain goals, and to function."
How ...
0
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1
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What does "taking" means here?
Seems stagnant? How so? TAKING new parks, 'Gathering Place' is new and one of the best parks, if not the best park, I’ve ever been to. Tulsa has lots of stuff opening downtown and has a pretty good ...
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why is there sometimes "a particular" and then a person's name? [migrated]
for example,
"I am writing this letter to a particular Mrs. Smith"
or
"I believe a particular Jane Doe is looking for you, sir!"
Why is the phrase "a particular" there ...
0
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1
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Stop blowing your load in the Golden Arches
While doing some research I came across the following phrase:
“Young men do not need to proactively freeze their sperm,” says David Ryley, a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF. “If men want ...
0
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How to say this
I received an email from this company, in which they proposed a job to me. I sent them an email saying that I would like to work with them. After 3 months I haven’t yet received any email from them. ...
1
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1
answer
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What is this usage of "and not", if correct?
What is the usage of "not all" in the following quote from StarCraft:
I'm pretty much the Queen Bitch of the Universe. And not all of your little soldiers or space ships will stand in my ...
9
votes
4
answers
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Usage and meaning of “may have” in this context
The man may have died a week ago in a car accident, but his legacy
will long change the world for the better.
When we know for sure that the man actually died a week ago in a car accident, can we ...
19
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7
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"Wish in one hand, tacky in the other. See which fills up first". What's the meaning of "tacky" here?
I am reading a contemporary American novel. In a dialogue, one of the characters quotes a proverb her mother used to say: "Wish in one hand, tacky in the other. See which fills up first".
I ...
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What is the full form of the word " Special Ops" ? I am asking this question in military context [closed]
I have googled this question. But I just wanted to get a human answer to it. What is the full form of the word "Special Ops" ?
I looked this in dictionary. But the dictionary did not ...
3
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3
answers
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What is "What *is*."?
I was reading an essay by philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti when I ran into these sentences:
“Understanding comes through being aware of what is. To know exactly
what is, the real, the actual, without ...
3
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1
answer
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"But Aberfan has scooped out the core of him, stretched it thin and catapulted it into the wild blue yonder."
(From A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe, Part I, Aberfan, chapter 11)
And then, at the dinner dance, with that kiss, he dared to believe they had a future. But Aberfan has scooped out the core ...
2
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1
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What does "he passed whole nights in new modelling his work" mean?
In a 1789 English translation of Frederick II 's eulogy on Voltaire it is written:
He passed whole nights in new modelling his work
What does the "in new" part mean?
(Also, if anyone has ...
0
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1
answer
42
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What "On your approach" means in this context? [closed]
I've playing a game called gta san andreas and I've ran into this phrase
Hey carl
you gotta stay nice and low on your approach or you pop up on the
radar
And two questions crossed my mind that is:
...
0
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1
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Is Weasel Poo on a Door Knob a Recognised Expression? [duplicate]
The heading says it all. I have seen the above expression (or a few variants) used to describe something smooth, whether a person, or a literal surface. An example,
When it comes to women, Alex is ...
5
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1
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Speaking of a fitted bed sheet, would you call it “inside-out” or “upside-down”if you wanted to indicate that the stitches are facing up?
As the title says, while I’m fairly sure about the answer, I am looking for a valid explanation of which term is correct and why.
I believe that the correct term is inside-out because it’s clearly ...