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Vlaad
Admirable
Legendary Hero
ghost of the past
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posted March 27, 2009 06:06 PM |
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Thanks, but I need help with the bolded expressions. 
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Ecoris
Promising
Supreme Hero
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posted March 27, 2009 10:41 PM |
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Edited by Ecoris at 22:42, 27 Mar 2009.
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It just seems like they are speaking in code. The phrases look meaningless but they may serve as a way for the guy to make sure he is giving the key to the right person and perhaps also pass some information without actually saying it out loud. The rest of the comic does not answer the question?
btw: why are their clothes and apearrance drawn so inconsistently?
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DagothGares
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
No gods or kings
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posted March 27, 2009 10:56 PM |
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Maybe the middle panel is a flashback?
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If you have any more questions, go to Dagoth Cares.
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DagothGares
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
No gods or kings
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posted April 12, 2009 04:17 AM |
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I was all but lost:
Is it:
a) I was totally lost
b) I was totally not lost! In fact, the only thing I'm sure about was the fact I wasn't lost!
c) other
Help me! Anne Rice uses this expression way too often 
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phoenixreborn
Promising
Legendary Hero
Unicorn
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posted April 12, 2009 04:40 AM |
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Looks like a) to me. Do you have a more complete sentence? or paragraph?
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DagothGares
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
No gods or kings
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posted April 12, 2009 04:43 AM |
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No, but it makes sense in context... It's something that's intranslatable to dutch, though, so it makes little sense to me that the sentence fragment 'all but' means 'totally' or 'this is the only thing you can be really sure of I was'.
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Binabik
Responsible
Legendary Hero
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posted April 12, 2009 05:19 AM |
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"All but..." means almost. So "all but lost" means almost lost. But it's more like an exagerated almost. Like just a little tiny bit less than lost.
If you went to a casino with $10,000 and left with $2, you left all but broke. Technically you still had some money and weren't truely broke, but not much difference between that and broke.
Actually I hate it when people say that. It's one of those things if you quickly read it or hear it, you get the point. But if you think too hard about it you get totally confused.
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DagothGares
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
No gods or kings
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posted April 12, 2009 05:23 AM |
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Quote:
But if you think too hard about it you get totally confused.
Thank you!
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Asheera
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Elite Assassin
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posted April 12, 2009 09:12 PM |
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And I thought "all but X" means "everything except X" or "not X"
I mean I've seen many times expressions like: "Give to all but the dogs" which translated to give to everyone except the dogs.
Or is this something completely different?
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mvassilev
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
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posted April 12, 2009 09:20 PM |
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"All but one die" = "All except one die", for example.
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Eccentric Opinion
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angelito
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
proud father of a princess
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posted April 14, 2009 09:19 AM |
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What's the difference between:
1. Did you hear....?
2. Have you heard...?
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Better judged by 12 than carried by 6.
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radar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Castle/Haven player
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posted April 14, 2009 09:30 AM |
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I think
1. On that occasion
2. Ever
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Binabik
Responsible
Legendary Hero
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posted April 15, 2009 11:11 PM |
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Edited by Binabik at 23:14, 15 Apr 2009.
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1. Did you hear....?
(simple past - specific event or time)
2. Have you heard...?
(present perfect - time is irrelevant, it only matters that it happened some time in the past)
"Did you finish your homework?" refers to the actual act of finishing. In other words, it refers to the event itself.
"Have you finished your homework?" does not refer to the event, or actual act of finishing. It merely asks if it has been done some time in the past.
"Did you hear the news?" is correct.
"Have you heard the news?" is correct.
"Did you hear the news yesterday?" is correct.
"Have you heard the news yesterday?" is NOT correct because "Have you heard..." refers to an indefinite time period in the past, NOT a specific time.
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Corribus
Hero of Order
The Abyss Staring Back at You
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posted April 15, 2009 11:19 PM |
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Edited by Corribus at 23:20, 15 Apr 2009.
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Quote:
"Have you heard the news yesterday?" is NOT correct
But, you could say, "Have you heard yesterday's news?"
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I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. -Mitch Hedberg
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Binabik
Responsible
Legendary Hero
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posted April 15, 2009 11:44 PM |
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Are you intentionally trying to confuse things? YOU can explain that one.
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Binabik
Responsible
Legendary Hero
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posted April 15, 2009 11:46 PM |
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I was all but lost:
All but one die
These are two different usages. The first one means "almost". And the second means "except".
The marathon runner sprained her ankle and all but dropped out of the race.
She sprained her ankle and slowed to a walk. But eventually she limped across the finish line. She did NOT actually drop out of the race, but the results were the same AS IF she did.
There were a dozen cookies on the plate and I ate all but one.
In this case "all but" means "except".
All but one die
(specific exception - one did not die)
I was all but lost:
(non-specifc)
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DagothGares
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
No gods or kings
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posted April 15, 2009 11:48 PM |
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Yesterday's news doesn't indicate when he heard it. He caould have heard just about an hour ago.
A trick I always use is: when there's a perfect tense, I always think the words :'by now' along with them. I don't know whether it's correct, but that's usually what it means, no?
example:
"Have you heard the news yesterday?" Is it correct?
Let's try: Have you heard the news yesterday by now... Two times and indication of time... Doesn't really work.
"Have you heard yesterday's news by now?" sounds better and is stylistically more correct (though the words 'more correct' suck)than...
Also:
it's is 'it is' and its is a genitive, right? Right? 
EDIT: I just realised I am entirely insecure about what I wrote, so don't take my word for anything, alright?
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Ecoris
Promising
Supreme Hero
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posted April 16, 2009 11:03 AM |
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Edited by Ecoris at 11:03, 16 Apr 2009.
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Quote:
Also:
it's is 'it is' and its is a genitive, right? Right?
Right.
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DagothGares
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
No gods or kings
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posted April 16, 2009 03:27 PM |
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uhm, I'm going to write the word in dutch and then phonetically in english.
Dutch:
Kiekeboe
English:
kee-kuh-boo
Now, it's something you say, like 'boo', but you say boo if you genuinely want to startle someone. Kiekeboe is something you say when you already snuck up on someone and want to gently let them know you're there (can be done with malicious intent)...
Does this word exist in english (possibly same pronunciation) or does 'boo' suffice for anything? If this word exists, how do you spell it out?
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Corribus
Hero of Order
The Abyss Staring Back at You
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posted April 16, 2009 03:31 PM |
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yeah. "peek-a-boo". Usually you play the game with little kids.
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I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. -Mitch Hedberg
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