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Mon 20 Oct, 2003 06:25 am
Been confused by the following questions, would you like to explain them to me? TIA.
(1) Does N/A below mean "not available"?
1 DUDE, WHERE'S MY COUNTRY? by Michael Moore. - Attention Craving Liberal w/ Been tatooed on his back
2 WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR YOU? by Bill O'Reilly. - Center Right
3 LIES (AND THE LYING LIARS WHO TELL THEM), by Al Franken - Conservative
4 EVERY SECOND COUNTS, by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins - N/A
5 FLYBOYS, by James Bradley - N/A
6 BUSHWHACKED, by Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose. - Liberal
7 MADAM SECRETARY, by Madeleine Albright with Bill Woodward - Dont know what to think of this one
8 THE GREAT UNRAVELING, by Paul Krugman. - *Most likely Liberal
9 PERSECUTION, by David Limbaugh - Conservative
10 THROUGH THE LENS. (National Geographic Society) - N/A
11 SHUT UP & SING, by Laura Ingraham - Conservative that will tear your head off
12 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, by Walter Isaacson - N/A
13 AFTER LIFE, by John Edward with Natasha Stoynoff - N/A
14 WHO'S YOUR CADDY? by Rick Reilly - N/A
15 THE BURNING TIGRIS - Unsure
16 *HEART FULL OF LIES, by Ann Rule - N/A
(2) Does "talkin out o my ass" below mean " talkin bullshlt"?
blain is cool enough. I dont think he cheated because there would be no point, i mean he sat in a box. Maybe he got a little bit of protien or whatever... but who knows, it isnt 'magic' it was a test to see how far he coudl push his body (more or less talkin out o my ass just what i have picked up from numerous sources.)
(3) What "coming over" below means?
The good thing is the British Public is giving him the exact kind of reception that he should be getting for coming over like a twat and being paid 5 million for choosing to starve himself and then having the cheek to compare himself to Bobby Sands
(4) Steep pitch?
The suck of the water as it took the beginning of the last steep pitch was frightful.
"Steep pitch" here means "sudden decline"?
(5) o.j.?
you think the o.j. trial was the big sunkist and minutemaid taste test.
(6) BSOD?
I wonder what would happen if he BSODs
PS. If N/A meant "not available", can you make them "available"? I mean, you point out these books are by conservative or liberal and so on. Thank you.
1) yes
2) yes, it means to talk without knowling what one is talking about.
3) "over" in the phrasal verb "coming over" means little. The only thing it adds to the meaning is a vague sense of there to here. I happen to think it's derived from a gesture.
In other words, "come over" = "come"
4) That is a weird sentence.
5) Orenthal James i.e. "OJ" Simpson
6) Blue Screen of Death
Hi Craven de Kere,
Thanks for replying.
Still, there is a few remained puzzle to me.
(1) I feel "Blue Screen of Death" like the unpleasant blue screen of Win95 when it went to break down. So does it mean "death" in a humorous expression?
(2) If "over" means "little" down there, thus "come over" means "come little"?
Hmmm. Maybe with the / in N/A it means not available. a NA or N/A in a box on a form has always meant "not applicable." Maybe its a matter of context.
Oh, in the header "N/A and etc." you would hardly ever use "and etc." Just "N/A, etc." is sufficient.
oristarA wrote:
(1) I feel "Blue Screen of Death" like the unpleasant blue screen of Win95 when it went to break down. So does it mean "death" in a humorous expression?
Yeah, the "BSOD" is just a humorous saying.
Quote:(2) If "over" means "little" down there, thus "come over" means "come little"?
It doesn't mean "little", it implies a span, but since coming and going always implies this it is really quite meaningless.
come here = come over here
There is no difference in meaning, "over" just adds colloquial value.
This is not the case in all phrasal verbs, some seem that way but actually make a difference. e.g. "fall off" is different from fall in that "off" implies a gradual decline (because "off" implies distance in phrasal verbs like "drive off". "walk off" etc).
Well explained! Thank you again Craven de Kere.
And also a thank to roger.
He he, I used to teach English. Back when I invited you to this site I was an ESL teacher and I enjoy your questions (even if Roberta generally gets to them first).
Hi all,
OristarA, I think the "coming over" quote refers to American magician David Blaine, who was (until yesterday) hung in a plastic box over the Thames in London.
So here, "coming over" means "coming over the Atlantic from America"...
And I think the N/A in your first quote means Not Applicable -- that is, the book mentioned cannot be classified as Liberal or Conservative (it's not political).
And a "steep pitch" is a steep slant, as of a very pointed roof or very steep hill.
And I enjoy your questions too!
Oristar, I've never known N/A to mean anything but "not applicable." Craven, does it also mean "not available"? Live and loin.
Hi Roberta,
One of my dictionaries indicates as below:
N/A
next assembly
not affected
not applicable
not available
Roberta wrote:Oristar, I've never known N/A to mean anything but "not applicable." Craven, does it also mean "not available"? Live and loin.
Besides, NA is also the (car) code for Netherlands Antilles and Narcotics Anonymous :wink:
Thanks Oristar and Walter. I do live and loin. :-)
Roberta wrote:I do live and loin. :-)
Much better than live and let live
How about live, let loin, and let live too???
Let's let everybody do!
BTW, there's a mistake in the subject line of this thread. "Etc." is never preceded by "and." The "et" in "et cetera" means "and."
Sorry to be picky. I can't help myself.
Roberta wrote:BTW, there's a mistake in the subject line of this thread. "Etc." is never preceded by "and." The "et" in "et cetera" means "and."
Sorry to be picky. I can't help myself.
Hi Roberta,
I have ever seen such a usage many times in newspapers, magazines, books etc. So I am not alone with this problem, I am with many writers!
If I found out that usage again, I'd like to let you know (and I also know you will refuse to accept the usage!)
Oristar, I don't care how many times you've seen it. I don't care who has said it. IT'S WRONG. You're getting to know me well, Oristar. You predicted my reaction. LOL.
Well, who defines a language if not the people who speak it? You can make all the rules you want, but you're just one person. If most people use the language in a specific way, than that's the way it is - it's the reality, and the rule is what is outdated.
!
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