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 Mon Oct 30, 2006 11:54 am What is "stores mark down their prices"? |
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Mark down the prices = reduce the prices. Stores in America often do this before a holiday (this test question refers to Christmas shopping); in Japan, they mark up (= raise) the prices at that time.
Have I answered any of your question?
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Mister Micawber
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| Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:33 am What is "stores mark down their prices"? |
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Hi,
IMO, stores in the USA and in Japan do things much of a muchness: mark up the prices before a holiday and mark down them after that.
haihao |
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Haihao
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| Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:54 am What is "stores mark down their prices"? |
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Hi Haihao
| Quote: | | IMO, stores in the USA and in Japan do things much of a muchness: |
I see you've learned an interesting expression. Just a comment, though: I had to look the expression up in order to verify the meaning and validity.  So it seems to be one of those things that is used in the UK but not at all in the USA.
In the USA stores do mark down prices before Christmas. They might not mark down all prices, but there are many reductions. Of course, what's left over AFTER Christmas, is then marked down further -- and will continue to be marked down until it's gone.
| Quote: | | mark up the prices before a holiday and mark down them after that. |
When a phrasal verb is separable and you use a pronoun, then the pronoun should come in the middle: mark them down. (A noun can come either in the middle or after a separable phrasal verb.)
Amy
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| Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:20 am What is "stores mark down their prices"? |
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| Tamara wrote: | Hi
| Quote: | | much of a muchness |
Thanks for the expression.
By the way, how can it be used in negative form? Just 'not much of a muchness'? |
Hi Tamara
You'll have to wait for Alan for answers about that. As I said, I don't know the expression at all! I originally thought Haihao had simply invented it but Google told me otherwise. 
Amy
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Yankee
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| Wed Dec 13, 2006 12:22 pm What is "stores mark down their prices"? |
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Hi Tamara,
Much of a muchness is already negative in spirit in the sense of not much to choose between two or more things/ not a lot of difference when you make comparisons. As a result the negative won't work here.
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| Wed Dec 13, 2006 12:44 pm What is "stores mark down their prices"? |
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Hmm, how interesting it is...
Thanks, Alan!
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| Meaning of "Face to face" | Idiom: "quick off the mark" |
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