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Sore spot
2023-12-07Reader question: What does "don't touch him on his sore spot" mean? What is "sore spot"? My comments: The sore spot on the bod...
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Work in progress
2023-12-07Reader question: What does it mean when they say "he's a work in progress"? My comments: It means that he's not a finished product &...
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Stopgap, makeshift 权宜之计
2023-12-07Reader question:What is stopgap, as in "a stopgap measure"?My comments:A look up any dictionary will yield you something, but let me find a ...
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Carrol's portmanteaus
2023-12-07Reader question:Please explain "portmanteau words", and give examples.My comments:A portmanteau word is one created from combining two exist...
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Lap dog
2023-12-07Reader question:What is a lap dog, as in "you're just his lap dog"?My comments:A lap dog is a dog, a small pet dog, small enough to sit ...
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Main Street vs. Wall Street
2023-12-07Reader question:Main Street, Wall Street, what's the difference?My comments:Currently in the news, there's a general sense of doom and gloom o...
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Larger than life
2024-01-05Reader question:In this sentence – Pavarotti was known as much for his larger than life personality as he was for his voice – please expla...
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Self-defeating
2023-12-07Reader question:In this paragraph – In Pakistan and Afghanistan, anything that fuels the sense of an American crusade against Islam puts moderat...
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New lease of life
2023-12-07Reader question:What does "new lease" mean in "Old hotel gets new lease on life"?My comments:"New lease on life" is an A...
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Equal parts
2023-12-07Reader question:What does this sentence – He was equal parts friends, mentor and confidant – mean? What is "equal parts"?My comm...