日期：2009-03-05 Reader question: In this sentence I don't want any ifs and buts, just do as she says what do if and but mean? My comments: If and but here go hand in hand. If you want someone to give you no ifs and buts, you want them to go ahead and do what you as... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-05 Reader question: What does anything goes mean and, how to use it? My comments: It means everything is permitted, or tolerated. There's a party you're going to attend and you ask the host what dress to wear, formal (suit and tie to one extreme) or in... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-04 Reader question: What does the expression one thing leads to another mean exactly? My comments: Cause and effect. Farfetched? Maybe, maybe not to me, the expression signifies the fact that you're responsible for what happens to you. Let me make up a... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-04 Reader question: In this Random thoughts and whatnot what's whatnot? My comments: Random thoughts and things like that. Whatnot means other things of the same type that you have already mentioned without actually naming them. Always preceded with an... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-04 Reader question: In this sentence We need our main guys to come through what does come through mean exactly? It doesn't appear to be a complete sentence. My comments: That sentence means if we want to succeed and get out of this difficult situation,... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-04 Reader question: What's small talk exactly? My comments: Small talk is gossip, chitchat, unimportant chatter, small being the significant adjective pointing to its, well, insignificance. In terms of the media, all the gossip columns are small talk.... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-03 Reader question: What does this Don't put me on the spot like that mean? My comments: It means don't embarrass me like that. If we are put on the spot, we're called out to answer a question or to solve a problem. It is usually a troublesome question... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-03 What is the biggest cultural barrier for a Chinese to overcome when dealing with people from other countries? For me personally, it is none other than looking into the eye of the other party. I knew early on while I was still in school that Western... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-03 Reader question: What does it mean when people say things don't add up? My comments: Two and two don't add up to five. Two and two add up to four. Five is incorrect. When numbers don't add up, they don't work out right. For example, if a survey clai... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-03 Reader question: In this paragraph from a story on climate change ('Crunch time' for climate change, BBC.co.uk, December 12, 2007) If the world were changed by words, it would have shifted today. One head of state after another took to the podium de... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-02 Reader question: In this sentence You've got to make allowances for their British accents what does make allowances mean? My comments: It means you've got to tolerate their British accents sounds like some American talking. When one makes allowances... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-02 Reader question: In this sentence from an AP story on the NBA (James' Triple-Double Leads Cavs Over Raptors, November 24, 2007) If he continues with this scoring and stats, I would hate to see the numbers at the end, Cleveland teammate Damon Jones s... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-01 Chinese learners of English have a greater difficulty when it comes to picking up a new word or expression. Well, I guess that's speaking the obvious. Native speakers, you see, pick up a new word or expression via hearing it first from other people.... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-01 Reader question: In this newspaper headline The Trouble with Tough Love what's tough love? My comments: Tough love is the harsh measures parents sometimes take in disciplining children. For example, some parents administer beatings to a kid who come... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-28 Steven asks: In this sentence However, firm's human resources, in and of themselves, did explain improved performance, and some firms gained IT-related advantages by merging IT with complementary resources what does in and of themselves mean? My com... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-28 Reader question: In this sentence It goes with the territory and when you take up the job you expect it what does it goes with the territory mean? My comments: It means you have to accept the unpleasant aspects (whatever they are) of the job because... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-27 Reader question: In this paragraph from an NBA story about Kobe Bryant, who could have been traded from Los Angeles to Detroit, according to some The Pistons and Lakers have not had any discussions about Kobe since the summer. Joe Dumars, doing his... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-27 Reader question: How to put the phrase dark horse into use? For example, is Liu Xiang a dark horse? My comments: The dark horse is someone people don't know about who surprises everyone by winning a competition or is all of a sudden successful in so... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-27 Reader question: How to express the idea of something that is不以人的意志为转移的? Give examples. My comments: How about there's nothing I can do about it. Or it's not up to us, or whether you like it or not, or willy-nilly. Willy-nilly indeed, that... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-02-26 Reader question: In this sentence On the issue of deportations, I will cut to the chase what does cut to the chase mean? My comments: I'll not beat around the bush but get right down to the point of our discussion. Cut to the chase means exactly tha... 阅读全文>>