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 #2 (permalink) Wed Jan 11, 2006 10:25 am English colloquial pairs |
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| Kawaiitiet wrote: |
Dear Sirs/ Madams
Would you please to explain the meaning of these colloquial pairs? Due to I can't find it in the dictionary and as I know that, they are related to the spoken or slang English, so it would be my grateful if can receive your feedback, please see the words as follows:
prim and proper CORRECT to and fro BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS hard and fast DEFINITE/EXACT tooth and nail VERY DETERMINED down and out SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE length and breadth THE WHOLE AREA safe and sound SAFE AND IN GOOD HEALTH ins and outs EXACT DETAILS cloak and dagger SECRETIVE spick and span VERY CLEAN up and about AWAKE AND ACTIVE ups and downs GOOD AND BAD TIMES song and dance A FUSS collar and tie SMARTLY DRESSED pins and needles PRICKLY SENSATION sick and tired EXHAUSTED bits and bobs DIFFERENT SMALL PIECES
Awaiting for your reply |
Hi,
I've added brief explanations in capital letters.
Alan
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Alan
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| #3 (permalink) Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:47 am One more |
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Hi Alan
Thanks so much.
Just one more to you, how about 'Odds and ends'?
Regards, |
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Kawaii
Guest
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| #4 (permalink) Wed Jan 11, 2006 12:06 pm Odds and ends |
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Hi,
Odds and ends is very similar to bits and pieces.
Alan
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Alan
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| #5 (permalink) Thu Jan 12, 2006 3:42 am Bits and Pieces? |
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Hi ALan
Sorry, I still don't understand what does it mean for bits and pieces?
Need your help
Thanks a lot |
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Kawaii
Guest
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| #6 (permalink) Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:00 am Bits and pieces |
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Hi Kawaii,
The two expressions: bits and pieces and odds and ends both mean the same as bits and bobs.
Alan
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Alan
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| #7 (permalink) Thu Jan 12, 2006 14:41 pm English colloquial pairs |
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"Odds and ends" means miscellaneous things. "He keeps various odds and ends in this drawer." Maybe he keeps pencils, shoe laces, a screw driver, a knife and a rubber ball in there.
"Bits and pieces" means something different. It means small parts of something. "He didn't tell me the story all at once. He just gave it to me in bits and pieces." "We've finished bits and pieces of the project, but we haven't started to work on it seriously yet." So, you can see that this is not the same as "odds and ends".
People in North America would not understand "bits and bobs", so if you want completely international English, I would use one of the other phrases. |
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Jamie (K)
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| #8 (permalink) Thu Jan 12, 2006 15:46 pm Things |
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Hi Kawaii,
I expect you must be confused with this overload of information! Bits and pieces/Odds and ends/Bits and bobs all refer, to my mind, to a collection of small objects of no particular significance. You can of course use them all in a figurative sense when they take on other meanings.
Alan
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| To have/to have got | Tense question |
