日期：2009-03-21 Reader question: In her farewell speech to end her campaign for Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton said: If we can blast 50 women into space, we will somehow launch a woman into the White House. And although we weren't able to shatter that highe... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-21 Reader question: What does this headline So much for Beckham as a voice for MLS (latimes.com, February 12, 2008) mean? My comments: MLS stands for Major League Soccer, the professional soccer league in America. Beckham (David Beckham, otherwise know... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-21 Reader question: What does this sentence The defendant denied that he had touched the computer, but his fingerprints on the keyboard gave the game away mean? Particularly, what does the expression gave the game away mean? My comments: The defendant... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-20 Reader question: In this paragraph from the Economist (China: Responding to Disaster, May 12, 2008) As Beijing prepares to host the summer Olympic Games in less than three months, officials were quick to report that the city's dozens of Olympic venu... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-20 Reader question:What is a watershed moment? My comments: First, watershed. A watershed is a great divide. Geographically, it refers to the mountain ridge that divides two water systems. You know, rainfall on one side of the mountain range gathers to... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-20 Reader question: What does this headline Obama's race is the 'elephant' in the voter booth mean? What elephant are we talking about? My comments: The phrase in question here is the elephant in the voter booth, and it's a metaphorical elephant as wel... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-18 Reader question: In this sentence He is able to get along with some people but always seems to rub the wrong way with others what does rub mean? My comments: Rub the wrong way is the phrasal verb to be examined here, rub referring to the act of stro... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-18 Reader question: In this headline Buffett: Bank woes are 'poetic justice' what does poetic justice mean? My comments: Let's read the story first. It is as follows: TORONTO (Reuters, February 7, 2008) The woes in the US financial sector are poetic ju... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-18 Reader question: I watched Dolan. He marched into the locker room after that game he made a beeline. In the above quote, what does made a beeline mean? My comments: He went directly (to the locker room), without stopping and turning to talk to anyon... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-18 Julia writes: Sorry to trouble you, but I have a question regarding insulting remarks against the Chinese on April 9 made by Jack Cafferty, one of commentators of CNN. He said: We're in hawk to the Chinese up to our eyeballs because of the in Iraq..... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-17 Reader question: In this headline British men stay single longer to play the field what does play the field mean exactly? My comments: The first part of the sentence tells the story they want to stay single longer. It doesn't mean they want to stay... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-17 Reader question: What does this sentence Most historians agree that the battle was an Egyptian defeat or a draw or at best a Pyrrhic victory mean, and in particular what is pyrrhic victory? My comments: It means the Egyptians probably lost the battl... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-17 Reader question: In the following Should we have been upfront with them in both cases? What do you think the results of such honesty would have been? is upfront the same as honesty? My comments: You're close. Being honest means you don't lie or stea... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-16 Reader question: What does this quote describing a basketball game Our offense has gone south completely in the second half mean? And gone south in particular? My comments: It means they have been unable to score they could during the first half, bu... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-16 Reader question: In this quote Pierce has always been interested in women dressed as men, because, she says, that's how she grew up - a tomboy swinging from trees. what does tomboy mean? My comments: Tom is a boy. Tomboy is a girl a girl who behaves... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-15 Reader question: In this quote No player is above the team. You run into a lot of problems when the tail wags the dog what does the tail wags the dog mean? My comments: What the quoted lines mean to convey is the idea that players should cater to te... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-15 Reader question: What does this sentence Now, these are not events that will create crowds at water coolers mean? Particularly, water coolers? My comments: That sentence means these events will not draw much interest from people. Water coolers stand... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-15 Reader question: In this sentence Mom, you should put some of your things away. Baby proof this house, stated our oldest son Mark as he lumbered up the stairs followed by his wife, Kim, and fifteen-month-old Hannah what does baby proof this house me... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-13 Reader question: How to say 高姿态 in English? Is high posture a good translation? My comments: High posture smacks of Chinglish. A literary translation like that probably won't work. High posture sounds more like a physical positioning of the body,... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-13 Reader question: What does this sentence It seems their whole pecking order in the pub revolves around how soon I acknowledge them and how long I talk to them mean? Specifically what is pecking order? My comments: That sentence means that if, upon w... 阅读全文>>