English language expressions

[cguy]

These expressions I cannot get my head around:

1. "it is virtually impossible"
what's with "virtually" here? "Virtual" is the opposite of "real", yet here it is used to express a strong reality, i.e. "really impossible"


2. "he is all but smart"

If you want to express the fact that you vacuumed and you didn't wash the dishes you say it like this: "I vacuumed but I didn't wash the dishes". So you use "but" to express the contradiction of the terms before "but" with the ones after "but".

So when I read "he is all but smart" I think that he may be handsome, tall, etc. but he is not smart. Yet this formulation is used to express the fact that he is really smart.


How can you explain these?
Thanks!

[ubunterooster]

1 (should be)almost completely impossible

2 It always strikes me that way also

[saulgoode]

1. Virtually also has the meaning of "seemingly, but not really". In that sense, "virtually impossible" is a perfectly cromulent expression.

2. I've never heard or heard of that phrase.

[Ric_NYC]

"My Humps"

What you gon' do with all that junk?
All that junk inside your trunk?
I'ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps (Check it out)"...
The Black Eyed Peas


Ok... What are those "humps"?

[cguy]

hump = something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings

So it's most likely they sing about her shapes (azz & *****). ;)

[lisati]

hump = something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings

So it's most likely they sing about her shapes (azz & *****). ;)

Ah, the "bad language" filter. There is a meaning to the word "hump" that I shouldn't share due to forum rules, I shall go and kick my "donkey" :D

[juancarlospaco]

How do you say a "girl" that actually is your "friend" without saying its your couple?

(just for fun)

[undecim]

How do you say a "girl" that actually is your "friend" without saying its your couple?

(just for fun)

I would say "female friend". Although that phrase can be taken wrong as well. If you want to explicitly say that you are not a couple, you can say "female platonic friend", which means exactly that.

[NovaAesa]

How do you say a "girl" that actually is your "friend" without saying its your couple?

(just for fun)
Female friend?

[Mr. Picklesworth]

How do you say a "girl" that actually is your "friend" without saying its your couple?

(just for fun)

"Friend." Quite simple ;)

You don't explicitly state gender for your friends who are guys, do you?

[juancarlospaco]

No, you need to use these words!, not tricky things :)

i say "una chica amiga" cant be traduced because it becomes "a girl friend"
but isn't a girlfriend! XD


(i got more like that, very funnneeeeh)

[Ric_NYC]

"What's good for a headache?"

It doesn't make sense... It has to be "What's bad for a headache?" :D

[lisati]

"What's good for a headache?"

It doesn't make sense... It has to be "What's bad for a headache?" :D

Like wanting to do somehing badly when we mean we want to do it a lot?

[qyot27]

2. "he is all but smart"

If you want to express the fact that you vacuumed and you didn't wash the dishes you say it like this: "I vacuumed but I didn't wash the dishes". So you use "but" to express the contradiction of the terms before "but" with the ones after "but".

So when I read "he is all but smart" I think that he may be handsome, tall, etc. but he is not smart. Yet this formulation is used to express the fact that he is really smart.
Where did you hear it used to mean they are smart? It most definitely wasn't meant that way any time I've heard that type of phrase used.

It's something of a backhanded compliment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backhanded_compliment). Extol most of their virtues, but there's that one problem...except when it's phrased that way the 'under the radar' nature of backhanded compliments isn't there.


"You park on a driveway, yet drive on a parkway."


Other than that, welcome to the world of English idioms.

[wewantutopia]

What's good for a headache


what's good for [relieving] a headache

[cguy]

Where did you hear it used to mean they are smart? It most definitely wasn't meant that way any time I've heard that type of phrase used.

It's something of a backhanded compliment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backhanded_compliment). Extol most of their virtues, but there's that one problem...except when it's phrased that way the 'under the radar' nature of backhanded compliments isn't there.


"You park on a driveway, yet drive on a parkway."


Other than that, welcome to the world of English idioms.
On TV and online, one of the times being on Discovery. They used "[the project] is all but over" to express the fact that it had been completed.

[cguy]

what's good for [relieving] a headache
A kick in the groin; it relocates the pain. :p

[Stancel]

"Friend." Quite simple ;)

You don't explicitly state gender for your friends who are guys, do you?

The word for that is "guy friend", to distinguish between that and boyfriend.

[Stancel]

No, you need to use these words!, not tricky things :)

i say "una chica amiga" cant be traduced because it becomes "a girl friend"
but isn't a girlfriend! XD


(i got more like that, very funnneeeeh)

Why say "una chica amiga"? Spanish is only my second language but it seems to me that you would just have to say "una amiga".

[qyot27]

On TV and online, one of the times being on Discovery. They used "[the project] is all but over" to express the fact that it had been completed.
'all but over' indicates that they are almost finished. Essentially that the only thing left is to declare that it's over, or to make your way back to whence you came. There is still something not done yet, but it's so small or insignificant it just seems that everything is over already. And right now I'm hearing it in Mike Rowe's voice.

Like the phrase, "all but dead", meaning that the person is very injured and would otherwise be close to death, although even that is sometimes used more figuratively to just mean 'looks bad/exhausted/drained'.

[bigseb]

I once spent two weeks trying to lay a carpet.

[Stancel]

I once spent two weeks trying to lay a carpet.

Well, at least the carpet got laid.

*sigh* if only I could say the same for myself....:p

[bigseb]

Well, at least the carpet got laid.

*sigh* if only I could say the same for myself....:p
lol

[marshmallow1304]

I thought it was "He's anything but smart." Thus, of all the things he is, smart is not one of them.


Why do 'ravel' and 'unravel' mean the same thing?

[lisati]

What on earth is "irregardless"? I haven't heard anyone use that word often but it irritates me. It almost sounds like the person using it has mixed the words "regardless" and "irrespective"......

How about this blooper: "without any further adieu" instead of "without any further ado"....

[bigseb]

What on earth is "irregardless"?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregardless

[alexan]

These expressions I cannot get my head around:

1. "it is virtually impossible"
what's with "virtually" here? "Virtual" is the opposite of "real", yet here it is used to express a strong reality, i.e. "really impossible"
"based on my data, it's impossible... but I admit that may be other data in real life which could change my (actual) knowledge"



2. "he is all but smart"

If you want to express the fact that you vacuumed and you didn't wash the dishes you say it like this: "I vacuumed but I didn't wash the dishes". So you use "but" to express the contradiction of the terms before "but" with the ones after "but".

So when I read "he is all but smart" I think that he may be handsome, tall, etc. but he is not smart. Yet this formulation is used to express the fact that he is really smart.
"he's everything you said about him... but remove all the words you used which are synonym of "smart"

guy A: see that guy there? he's shrewd, astute, sharp... but very ugly guy
guy B: he is all but smart = he's just ugly

Anyway, if you make a question include "all" as "infinite".. the answer is always the same: 42

[alexan]

Why say "una chica amiga"? Spanish is only my second language but it seems to me that you would just have to say "una amiga".
Depending on the context, you can use "she"

"she's my friend"
or
"I am one of her friend"
(not sure if it's correct, my english isn't quite right :P )



I suppose (correct if I am wrong) which
"that girl is my friend"
should work also


it would be a lot easy if English speaker would use "fiancé".. but looks like it sound too much French

[hhh]

If you turn the air conditioning up, are you making the room colder or warmer?

Which is next Sunday, tomorrow or a week from tomorrow?

How come some Americans wait in line and others wait on line?

How come Grape Nuts don't contain either?



BTW, these work best if spoken with Jerry Seinfeld's voice.

[ubunterooster]

And "close the light"??? That actually means turn it on

[sisco311]

Non-stop flight :shock:

Why near miss is an unplanned event that did not result in injury?

IMO, a collision is a near miss, isn't it?


more here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFW6NHbWX0E

[Penguin Guy]

1. "it is virtually impossible"
what's with "virtually" here? "Virtual" is the opposite of "real", yet here it is used to express a strong reality, i.e. "really impossible"
No, 'virtually impossible' means 'really hard to do' or 'almost impossible'.


2. "he is all but smart"

If you want to express the fact that you vacuumed and you didn't wash the dishes you say it like this: "I vacuumed but I didn't wash the dishes". So you use "but" to express the contradiction of the terms before "but" with the ones after "but".

So when I read "he is all but smart" I think that he may be handsome, tall, etc. but he is not smart. Yet this formulation is used to express the fact that he is really smart.
'he is all but smart' means 'he is dumb'.

[alexan]

it's totally...


Seen in phrases like "it's totally a thing"



What's for sure... isn't just a part it :?

[lisati]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregardless

Smarty pants :D The opening paragraph of the Wikipedia article alludes to what I was getting at: it just doesn't sound right.