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Joined: Sep 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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The sentence "I am armed to the teeth" is an untruism whenever it is pronounced correctly. If it were true, it would be pronounced "Eye ar arrr kaar keef". <g> http://users.ox.ac.uk/~diab0011/untrue.html(with thanks to aldi @ wordorigins)
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
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> "The choir will now sing for us"( used to indicate that the congregation are not invited to participate.)
congregation are?
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
congregation are?
Grammar by meaning rather than grammar by form.
This usage is common in the Commonwealth.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
> Grammar by meaning rather than grammar by form.
oh, that.
> Commonwealth
I forget. is that us?
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273 |
>> Commonwealth
I forget. is that us?
Yes, if you move to MA.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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is that us?
No. US is far from common.
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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a) What does "to coin a phrase" mean?
b) This sentence...>>>RLC points out that the phrase 'hang up' is always untrue, because things can't hang up - by definition, they hang down. That's not an untruism, it is an oxymoron. But interesting. is way off.
Telephones used to hang on the wall, and the cradle to put the listening piece was higher than the individual so they'd have to hang the receiver up to disconnect.
Phone booths still have receiver that have to be hung up.
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Joined: Sep 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 4,757 |
> What does "to coin a phrase" mean?
To coin = to impress plain metal into the shape of a valuable and shiny new coin...
and so by extension to coin a phrase = to impress plain language into a valuable shiny new expression...
(the untrusim residing in the fact that this expression is dragged out like a dead chicken trailed through the dust when someone is about to offer up just a trite and hackneyed old saw)
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
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in the 'one trick ponies' section they point out
Pooper
The only kind of pooper is a party pooper.
not in the states.. here we also have pooper scoopers.
pooper being an infantilized word for dog feces.
some how, (dog) 'crapper trapper' hasn't caught on as a cutsy name.
i suspect the idea of cleaning up after one's dog is not an exclusive US idea.. what do you call them else where?
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