sketch in vs. sketch out

[Haihao]

Hi,

I have come across a pair of expressions in an idiom expression book, which is:

'Sketch the main point in' and 'sketch the main point out'.

The book says both are of the same meaning: roughly give out the main point. But the book doesn't say why so could you please tell me if I could make an interpretation for them as follows?

1. Sketch the main point in = put the main point in(to) a sketch-like form (a rough one)
2. Sketch the main point out = draw out/up a sketch of/for the main point

By the way, the same book gives another expression:

'Hope against hope that there will be survivors'

3. Could I understand it as: hope against the probability that there will be survivors?

Thank you very much in advance.

Haihao

[Mister Micawber]

.
1-2-- Your elucidations seem OK to me. It is the same non-difference that resides in this pair: fill in / fill out the form.

3-- No. 'Hope against hop'e here means to hope against the high probability that there will not be survivors. It means to hope strongly in the face of very poor odds.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[Alan]

Hi Haihao,

To me 'sketch in' suggests give some idea about/describe in some detail a situation. In other words you want someone to fill in some details/give a better picture of something you don't know in detail. Imagine that a police officer is investigating a crime and is asking witnesses about what they saw or heard because he wants to sketch in the background to the crime. 'Sketch out' has the same idea but suggests more the idea of giving a fuller picture of something.

Hope against hope is a situation where you very much hope something has happened but at the back of your mind you know that your hopes will probably not be fulfilled.

A
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Subjunctive

[Haihao]

Thank you so very much again, Mr Micawber and Alan. I guess, oh I am sure that they are all made very clear to me now.

Haihao