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JB's new words interactive section

 
 
panzade
 
  1  
Reply Sun 26 Jun, 2005 12:38 pm
^JB^ wrote:
Lost advantage over?

I have been seeing the word "odds" frequently, what does that mean?


In a chess game , when you're up 2 pawns and lose a bishop, you've lost advantage over your opponent.

Odds are a way of calculating a result. If you flip a coin 1,000 times the "odds" are that each side will be represented 500 times.
If Yao Ming plays in a Rockets game, the odds are better that they will win as opposed to if he doesn't play.

Verstehen Sie, was ich meine?
0 Replies
 
panzade
 
  1  
Reply Sun 26 Jun, 2005 12:41 pm
^JB^ wrote:
One of my classmates is obssessed with architecture (His father is a celebrated architect, in a rather smaller circle). If you ever want to mention this Pei to him, get ready to endure the interminable harangue first. Smile


BTWay

A very nice paragraph JB.Your English is really improving
0 Replies
 
Clary
 
  1  
Reply Sun 26 Jun, 2005 12:46 pm
yes, they did physically lose ground, but you can also use the phrase like: 'He lost ground in the argument'. In other words, the other person had a better argument than he did. Likewise 'gain ground'.

The 'odds' are statistical likelihood. In a horse race, the odds are what you bet on e.g. Kimber 2-1 (short odds), Firebird 100-1 (long odds). The odds are stacked against Firebird. The odds are that Kimber will beat Firebird.
0 Replies
 
panzade
 
  1  
Reply Sun 26 Jun, 2005 12:52 pm
Thanks for Claryfying!
0 Replies
 
Clary
 
  1  
Reply Sun 26 Jun, 2005 12:56 pm
Smile Hope it worked - I was on the phone to my son at the same time so it may not be very 'clare'
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J-B
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Jun, 2005 03:33 am
Letty wrote:
Strange, I got a message that said "temporarily restricted". What does that mean?


Question A message from me? I am sure that I haven't send any PMs recently....
0 Replies
 
J-B
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Jun, 2005 03:34 am
panzade wrote:
^JB^ wrote:

Lose ground to?


After the Allies secured the Normandy beaches they began pouring into the french countyside...therefore the Wermacht(and SS) lost ground(territory) to the Allies.



Just that simple! Smile
0 Replies
 
J-B
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Jun, 2005 03:55 am
Thanks for the help with "odds"

So here "appalling odds" means Wermacht's disproportionately small possibility of driving the Allied forces back into the ocean and thereafter winning the war.


Clarification is also great. Very Happy
0 Replies
 
panzade
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Jun, 2005 08:45 am
Take note though JB, that losing ground is hardly ever used in the sense I noted. More common is Clary's example which has a race or contest as the subject.
0 Replies
 
J-B
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Jun, 2005 07:38 pm
But your initial note made sense perfectly in this case Smile
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panzade
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Jun, 2005 08:36 pm
That's because I wanted you to grasp the sensible application of the words: lose ground. Clary explained the more nuanced uses.
0 Replies
 
J-B
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Jun, 2005 08:45 pm
Yeah, I know it.
So, we can call that more "visual"? Which was opposite to "abstract" ? Smile

"visual" is favored by our Chinese teacher when he teaches about composition. :wink:
0 Replies
 
Piffka
 
  1  
Reply Mon 27 Jun, 2005 09:53 pm
^JB^ wrote:
Hi there, I am sorry for the uninformed absense.

It was for the preparation of my Senior Middle School Entrance Examination---another crazy thing of my particular age. All of my activities with my computers was ruled out by my parents, with the approval of me certainly, I needed to concentrate.

The whole "god-awful shitty mess" (quoted from Saving Private Ryan)
ended today. And the cheerful thing is that I am confident I have done well.

The result of the Big Exam will be released on July,10th. But you know that I was a bit cynical, or "潇洒"(xiao sai), which means someone who does not care about those thousands of trifles which was being regarded as trifles by them but considered as important by most others, although this state of living is adored by many----So I am going to arrive in London on July 2nd to attend a self-arranged 7-week summer course in Clary's school in Totnes. And I am going to host a thread to ask for advices----Indeed this is to be my first experience of being out of the borders.

(Hey what about the "array" question? Why is reluctant? Am I naive about that? Embarrassed )


I wanted to explain, ^JB^, that I was on vacation from the 11th-20th of June, then have been busy & away from the computer. I think that the array question was answered well enough. From the quote you gave, I think you could just substitute the word "group."

And HEY.... Congratulations and Salutations on your plans for the summer. I hope you have a wonderful time getting Claryifed. Guess you'll be there this Saturday. Good on ya!!!
0 Replies
 
J-B
 
  1  
Reply Tue 28 Jun, 2005 06:02 am
No need to make explanation, Piffka. That's not a problem! never mind Smile

But anyway do you ever use "visual" in this way?
I mean, like when physicists tried to explain the the phenomena of the magnetic field which is that abstract, that difficult to understand, they created the magnetic induction line which "visualized" the field and made it easier to understand.
0 Replies
 
J-B
 
  1  
Reply Tue 28 Jun, 2005 06:40 am
And here:
Quote:
Whether his trial would actually get under way was uncertain. Court officials have said no jury pool had been formed in advance and there was speculation Rader might change his plea or ask for a mental evaluation first.


Jury pool?
0 Replies
 
J-B
 
  1  
Reply Fri 1 Jul, 2005 06:09 am
Ladies and gentlemen ? Confused Question
0 Replies
 
Francis
 
  1  
Reply Fri 1 Jul, 2005 06:14 am
Hi, JB!

Jury pool:

"The body of prospective jurors summoned for jury duty"

Group of people to be jury on a trial...
0 Replies
 
J-B
 
  1  
Reply Fri 1 Jul, 2005 06:19 am
pool....

This word really contains a lot doesn't it? Smile
0 Replies
 
Francis
 
  1  
Reply Fri 1 Jul, 2005 06:21 am
Yes, ^JB^, it does!
0 Replies
 
panzade
 
  1  
Reply Fri 1 Jul, 2005 07:51 am
JB - One of those English words that make the language so difficult. It can be used as a noun, verb and adjective.
0 Replies
 
 

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