日期：2009-04-02 Reader question: What does this headline A sea change on immigration? mean? My comments: It means a major change in immigration policy. Sea change is an idiom, referring to drastic change, fundamental change, a total about turn, a radical, dramatic,... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-04-01 Reader question: In this passage Sales on the high street suffered their worst ever fall last month, adding to evidence that the UK is heading into recession and prompting renewed calls for an urgent cut in interest rates (High street sales plunge 3... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-31 Reader question: He's a class act. What does that mean? My comments: It means he's an excellent person. How excellent? That depends on context. A person who's seen by others as a class act usually demonstrates some unique good qualities and those qu... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-30 Reader question: What does my heart is in the right place mean? My comments: It means there's something wrong with you. I'm kidding. If your heart is in the right place, you're fine. You're good. You're kind. You have a good conscience. You're perfe... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-27 Reader question: This Was Iraq a fool's errand? is a headline. What does fool's errand mean? Is it a set phrase? My comments: An errand is a journey one takes in order to do something for someone. It's a usually a short trip for some light task. For... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-22 Reader question: This Sorry doesn't cut it is a headline. But what does it mean? My comments: It means merely saying I'm sorry isn't good enough. Whoever feels sorry should do more to pacify those he's saying sorry to. Doesn't cut it is an idiom and... 阅读全文>>

日期：2009-03-21 Reader question: In this passage President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is a man known for his surprising and often headline grabbing announcements but this latest one is extraordinary even by his standards. He's called on the left-wing Colombian FARC r... 阅读全文>>

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>>