Questions tagged [meaning-in-context]
This tag is for questions about the meaning of a longer passage of English. A SPECIFIC CONCERN must be emphasized.
5,213 questions
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What does the author indicate to by writing "Listen to the NEVER HAVES" in poem
"Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,
Listen to the DON'TS.
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES,
the WONTS.
Listen to the NEVER HAVES,
Then listen close to me...
Anything can happen, child.
...
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What does the sentence mean here? I understand each sentence but can't find the logic behind this one in connection with all the others in the passage
A few days ago, I posted a question about a passage from the book The Lady's Maid by Rosina Harrison. Since I'm translating it, there will be more questions to follow, so please bear with me!
Okay. So ...
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What is the meaning of “mantle” in this sentence?
In a visual novel written in American English, I have found the following passage, as a character is describing the contents of his room, which is themed around car racing (emphasis is mine):
Damon: ...
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. . . together with recitals of congratulatory verses and obituary poetry [closed]
From the Oxford University Press printing of Mark Twain’s Life On The Mississippi in the chapter "A Pilot's Needs" I read:
He would be 'so full of laugh' that he could hardly begin; then ...
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Usage of the word ought in 1 John 2:6 [closed]
Define the meaning of ought in 1 John 2:6?
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
(King James Version)
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Meaning of "If that doesn't cry"
In the comedy video at 3.41 the comedian says "If that doesn't cry I give up ... I don't know what does." Can someone kindly explain what the meaning of 'cry' in this situation, or the ...
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Correct usage of "resolution" associated with "high" and "low"
The Cambridge dictionary defines resolution as "The ability of a microscope, or a television or computer screen, to show things clearly and with a lot of detail".
This makes me ponder, let's ...
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Meaning of gaff/gaffe
In the video at 0.41 she uses the phrase “gaff/ gaffe themselves”. The dictionary lists many meanings, pronunciation is same for both the words and I am mentioning those I feel could be of relevance....
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The meaning of baking off of something
I was watching stand up comedy (https://youtu.be/Mdw2b_RJeCA?si=CfXUDe7vSTQnxDcE), and at 0.40 I heard the comedian say “my daughter came down the stairs and you could smell the urine baking off of ...
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Meaning of "back the car up"
I recently came across the phrase/phrasal verb "back the car up" in a stand up comedy. https://youtu.be/bUYUSXyp3Pg?si=HN27fFAsRkOrdbI4
At 0.27 when he says back the car up, I wonder wether ...
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Unclear meaning of "but for that" at the end of an article [duplicate]
In one of the recent The Economist issues there was an obituary of Fauja Singh, a famous centenarian runner. For context, he kept running until old age, after having lost a wife, daughter and son. ...
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What is the function of 'being' as a participle in these sentences [duplicate]
I came across this use of 'being' in two different sentences in Berkeley's A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge and I am not sure about whether I am understanding those correctly, ...
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What does 'For let a space be never so little' mean in this Hobbes passage?
I am analyzing a passage from Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan (1651) and require expert clarification regarding the precise grammatical function and semantic interpretation of a specific phrase within this ...
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Which article should be used in this case?
When I tell someone a long adventure story and use the phrase:
I was in the neighbors' apple orchard, a dog chased me and I was forced to jump over _____ fence and run away...
What article should I ...
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What does "a little light pancake" mean?
Tried to look it up and all it did was bring me to a Reddit thread wherein the source of this phrase is quoted. I'll both link the thread and give the scene and quote, with context. From Malcolm in ...
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