Search found 1973 matches
- Sat Mar 30, 2019 4:05 pm
- Forum: No, wait. Don't tell me
- Topic: In the pub
- Replies: 8
- Views: 14020
Re: In the pub
"Flora of the Moors: A Vegetarian's Guide," by the Bronte Soeurs
- Fri Mar 29, 2019 3:31 am
- Forum: No, wait. Don't tell me
- Topic: In the pub
- Replies: 8
- Views: 14020
Re: In the pub
Very funny, guys. But I meant DINOSAUR ones. "Try Sarah Topps" may be the only DINOSAUR one.
- Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:52 pm
- Forum: No, wait. Don't tell me
- Topic: In the pub
- Replies: 8
- Views: 14020
Re: In the pub
Good one, Bobinwales. I want to come up with some others, but this may be the only one!
- Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:50 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: A close second
- Replies: 3
- Views: 4889
Re: A close second
Stevenloan, I think you've used the phrase perfectly in your coffee example. Like tony h says, when something beats something else by a very small margin, it's called "a close second." There are bunches of idioms to describe a very close finish between competitors: beaten by a hair/nose; a photo-fin...
- Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:41 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Au contraire
- Replies: 6
- Views: 6611
Re: Au contraire
. . . whether the expression comes across as pretentious is dependent partly on who is saying it, in what context and with what intention. Indeed. Late to the party once again, I still must add my two cents: "au contraire, mon frere" is nothing but cool when Bart Simpson says it. I have a memory of...
- Mon Mar 25, 2019 6:17 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Slide and slip
- Replies: 4
- Views: 5187
Re: Slide and slip
I've always heard the expression as, ". . . slipped through one's fingers." This version shows up on a google search as an idiom.
Of course, Paul Simon would have it both ways: Y'know, the nearer your destination, the more you're slip sliding away.
Of course, Paul Simon would have it both ways: Y'know, the nearer your destination, the more you're slip sliding away.
- Thu Mar 21, 2019 6:57 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: poor
- Replies: 2
- Views: 4014
Re: poor
Hi azz. I don't find (a) to be ambiguous. It might be ambiguous if you were speaking the two words: a person might hear "poorhouse." On paper, though, I take "poor house" to simply mean badly built, rundown, or otherwise not up to standard. I might use a more specific word to describe a structure's ...
- Thu Mar 21, 2019 3:56 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Poster arrangement
- Replies: 3
- Views: 4350
Re: Poster arrangement
In my book, the display on the wall above the shelves is called "signage." So, in current slang (as trolley has pointed out) I would call this a "signage fail." On the other hand, since the stuff on the shelves is moveable, and the sign(age) above is less so, this could be called an assistant manage...
- Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:22 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Newly poured
- Replies: 11
- Views: 8710
Re: Newly poured
It's why I come here: to incur wrath and commit preemptive occurences of reality. Ok -- I get it, Phil ------ nix-on the super-fluous-dashes.
- Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:10 pm
- Forum: Word Origins and Meanings
- Topic: What do Americans mean by Pantomime
- Replies: 5
- Views: 10698
Re: What do Americans mean by Pantomime
Tony h, you can view a YouTube video of Red Skelton's work at the United Nations by googling "Red Skelton pantomime." Oh never mind -- let me just do it for you. Enjoy!
Unfortunately, you have to tolerate a few minutes of vintage TV commercials.
Unfortunately, you have to tolerate a few minutes of vintage TV commercials.
- Tue Mar 19, 2019 8:55 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Newly poured
- Replies: 11
- Views: 8710
Re: Newly poured
Stevenloan, the phrase "social awareness" is too broad to describe just what this person is lacking. Chiefly, he lacks any respect for the labor, time, and cost that others have put into laying the pavement, which indicates he has some "antisocial personality disorder." (That's what the docs say now...
- Tue Mar 19, 2019 5:13 pm
- Forum: Usage and Writing
- Topic: Newly poured
- Replies: 11
- Views: 8710
Re: Newly poured
It's correct to say he's a frigging idiot.
- Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:17 pm
- Forum: No, wait. Don't tell me
- Topic: Women Who Read
- Replies: 6
- Views: 12011
Re: Women Who Read
So, a mistake could be called a premonition of truth? A preemptive fact? One thing life has taught me: all my worst mistakes will be revealed at the worst possible moment. Count on it. I don't really mind seeing the emojis/smilies in my screen -- I just hesitate to choose them over the old keyboard ...
- Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:02 pm
- Forum: Oh, and have you read...?
- Topic: Days Without End, by Sebastian Barry
- Replies: 0
- Views: 20354
Days Without End, by Sebastian Barry
No linguistic scholarship here, just a beautiful novel about some folks trying to make it in 19th century America. I had never read anything by Sebastian Barry before, and judged this book by its cover at a free book exchange event. Barry is henceforth on my list of "go to" authors (meaning, I go to...
- Tue Mar 19, 2019 3:37 pm
- Forum: Addicts' Corner
- Topic: Good Quotes
- Replies: 83
- Views: 164220
Re: Good Quotes
Thanks for that link, Erik. Takes me back to the "Master and Margarita" days, my first book read in its entirety without turning a single page. I've read a few books on my computer since then, but I still prefer books with paper pages to flip through, highlight, dog-ear, annotate, and otherwise abus...