Trending
- 01.Does "A be after B" mean "A is chasing B"? What does it mean?
Yes, "after" in this context means to chase, to look for, or to try to get. So to have something or someone "after" someone in this case means that they are looking to find that person or trying to capture them. Ex: You'd better hide. The whole city is after you.
- 02.What does "been around" mean?
Good question. "Been around" can have a few different different meanings. However, in the context of this video, "been around" means 'has been in existence'. So the video is saying that "red lipstick" has been in existence for over 5000 years. Ex: I wonder how long have cell phones been around? Ex: Disco has been around since the seventies.
- 03.Is it okay to say ”arm wrestling” instead? Is ”arm wrestle” a more common expression?
Both the word "arm wrestle" and "arm wrestling" are correct. "Arm wrestle" is the simple present verb for the term, as well as being the acceptable noun. "Arm wrestled" would be the acceptable past tense, unless used in a question form with "did". "Arm wrestling", however is present participle verb and gerund to show the ongoing act. Therefore changing this statement to "arm wrestling" would sound a little bit strange. Ex: Why are they arm wrestling? Ex: Why did they arm wrestle? Ex: They arm wrestled? Ex: I will arm wrestle you and win.
- 04.What's "walk the walk, talk the talk" mean?
To "talk the talk and walk the walk" means to say what you're going to do, and actually do it. It's a commonly used idiom, usually used to indicate if someone does or doesn't do what they say or preach that they do. Ex: Jim talks the talk about recycling, but he doesn't walk the walk. => doesn't actually recycle Ex: She talks the talk and even walks the walk with her values.
- 05.Is the word "zillion" used commonly?
"Zillion" refers to an extremely large number of things. This term is commonly used when emphasizing a large amount. It is not common in conversational English because it does not describe an actual number.
- 06.Why is "maybe" located after the verb? Can I change the location of maybe?
Yes, the position of the adverb "maybe" can be changed in the sentence. For example, "Maybe you get started a little slowly ..." works here and does not change the meaning of the sentence. Adverbs often follow verbs, but in the case of "maybe," can also be placed at the beginning of a sentence, before the subject (you) and verb(s) (get started). "Maybe" can also be placed after a comma at the end. Ex. Are you hungry, maybe? Ex: Maybe the office has closed already.
- 07.What's "as much as" mean when it's used at the beginning of a sentence like this?
When used at the beginning of the sentence in this way, "as much as" is the same as "even though" or "although." So, it is used to show contrast. Ex: As much as I wish I could go, I am not free this weekend. Ex: As much as I had enjoyed my adventure, it was good to be back.
- 08.Is "enough" describing "done" as a adverb?
Yes! "Enough" here is an adverb that describes "done", and means "a sufficient amount". Ex: I have done enough homework, so I can have fun now. Ex: She is old enough to get her driver's license.
- 09.What does the "first dance" mean?
The first dance is a tradition for many formal events that involve dancing: it is used to officially open the event. It is especially important during weddings, as the bride and groom are the guests of honor and perform the first dance to open the dancing for the night. Ex: What song are you guys going to dance to for your first dance? Ex: I'm extremely nervous about doing the first dance for the Governor's Ball.
- 010.Do "Shore up", "build up", "strength" mean all the same?
To answer your question, they have similar definitions, but they aren't exactly the same. "Shore up" means to support, help or strengthen. "Build up" means to develop or improve gradually. "Strength" means to be strong or tough. However, if you changed "strength" to "strengthen" the definition changes: to make stronger; to build up. By changing this word slightly, it then makes these three words have the same meaning. In the examples below, I used the three words that we discussed, but they all mean the same thing. Ex: The military shored up their defenses. Ex: The military built up their defenses. Ex: The military strengthened their defenses. Thank you for your great question!
See all contents
Here, "Consign" means to assign or commit permanently. And you're right. It doesn't have a very positive meaning here, since it implies that the item will never be used and kept in the closet forever. Other meanings of "consign" include: delivering something to someone's custody, or to send goods by a carrier. Ex: I consigned my birthday cards to the third drawer of my dressing table. Ex: I'm consigning one of my artworks to the gallery in town. Ex: The package has been consigned to a courier. It'll arrive tomorrow!
Unfortunately, "after eight hours" by itself can't be used because it is not specific enough. The phrase "in eight hours" means "after eight hours from now". Only using "after eight hours" could refer to that eight-hour time frame beginning at any time. An example of how you could use the phrase "after eight hours" is, "After eight hours of sleep, I feel refreshed."
Yes, in this case you can replace "entirely" with "all". Both "all" and "entirely" are adverbs and they have very similar meanings, so you can often use them interchangeably. However, "entirely" is a bit more formal and can more strongly emphasize that something is complete, whereas "all" does not have the same emphasis. Ex: I spilled the drink all on my shirt. Ex: I spilled the drink entirely on my shirt. Even though "all" means that something is "complete" or "whole", it does not imply that something is totally covered with something because "all" is often used to exaggerate something that is not complete or whole. So when used to describe something complete or whole, "all" sounds less strong.
"Scared to pieces" is an idiom that means to be extremely scared. Ex: I was scared to pieces in the haunted house. Ex: She scared me to pieces yesterday.
Of all the synonyms listed by Wiktionary, the most formal option seems to be "absurdity". As a replacement for nonsense, I'd use the plural, absurdities. *Wiktionary is a multilingual, web-based project to create a free content dictionary of all words in all languages.
