This really stands for some reason

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However, on the other hand, non-standard phrases make a pile of understanding hassles to English learners, who helplessly try to gain an understanding of all intricate words and phrases, invented by the language speakers impromptu.
This really stands for some reason, because the most difficult aspect of learning another language is not a great bulk of its vocabulary, but an extensive number of non-standard phrases.

What does "This stands for some reason" mean?

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Type: Question • Score: 1 • Views: 960 • Replies: 11

[+3] - engineer - 01/12/2011I have no idea what the author means with the phrase "This really stands for some reason." I don't know why you are giving Set grief for saying that. I think most English speakers would...

That's a good question--i consider this badly written, and no idea what the author is trying to say.

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@fansy,

Quote:

However, on the other hand, non-standard phrases make a pile of understanding hassles to English learners, who helplessly try to gain an understanding of all intricate words and phrases, invented by the language speakers impromptu.
This really stands for some reason, because the most difficult aspect of learning another language is not a great bulk of its vocabulary, but an extensive number of non-standard phrases.

From the context, can we take it to mean "it is correct to say so [non-standard phrases], that is, these phrases are difficult for English learns to learn and master?

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@fansy,

To employ another common English stock phrase--your guess is as good as mine. Yes, i suppose that's as plausible an explanation as either of us is likely to come up with. Please don't waste a lot of thought on that, it's badly written, and not representative of "good" English.

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@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

it's badly written, and not representative of "good" English.

It's quite ungrammatical and sloppy, and rather inaccurate too. Idiomatic phrases are very rarely made up "impromptu" by native speakers.

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@fansy,

What does "This stands for some reason" mean?

It likely holds a meaning,

This is true [this stands true] for a very good reason.

0 Replies

@contrex,

Quote:

It's quite ungrammatical

Please point out the "quite" ungrammatical aspects, Contrex.

Quote:

... and rather inaccurate too. Idiomatic phrases are very rarely made up "impromptu" by native speakers.

How else could they be made up? Is there a committee that looks at different phrases that could match a situation after that situation has occurred? Is there then a vote for the one that particular group likes best?

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@Setanta,

Quote:

That's a good question--i consider this badly written, and no idea what the author is trying to say.

That's because you are ignorant of the subject matter so you use your lame "go to" response, using a questionable bit of writing yourself.

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@contrex,

Quote:

Idiomatic phrases are very rarely made up "impromptu" by native speakers

Suppose an English-speaking native speaker likened a stubborn person to a mule, saying for the first time, "He is as stubborn as a mule," and then everyone else picked up that expression and began to use it in similar situations. Can we say that sometimes an idiom is created impromptu? (It so happens that the Chinese people would refer to such a person as having a donkey/mule's temper.)

1 Reply

@fansy,

Contrex's gums often get to flappin' long before his mind engages, Fansy.

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@JTT,

I have no idea what the author means with the phrase "This really stands for some reason." I don't know why you are giving Set grief for saying that. I think most English speakers would say the same. My first thought was that a word is missing and that it should be "This really stands out for some reason"

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@engineer,

Quote:

I have no idea what the author means with the phrase "This really stands for some reason."

You are being disingenuous, E. You, as a native speaker, with the available context, do have an idea what it means. The phrase "My first thought" tells us that.

There's no grief for Setanta. "pathfinder" doesn't read my responses. But it's important that the nonsense that he often writes is addressed because it is important to EFLs.

As you may have noted, neither of the two grammar gurus ever tell what is wrong. They just fall back on those inane "arguments" that I've disparaged as meaningless drivel.

Now, with this post, you might have caused "pathfinder" some grief, or given him a grand opportunity to go into one of his OmSig rants about how he deals with 'ignore' and how he's too big and fair a guy to make use of such a childish evasion.

Quote:

My first thought was that a word is missing and that it should be "This really stands out for some reason"

That's a distinct possibility.

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This really stands for some reason

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