My Writing Notebook » Phrases

Note 352 – The phrase ‘for all intents and purposes’

Sandra Madeira — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:22:40 +0000

According to Phrases.org, ‘for all intents and purposes’ means “In effect; for all practical purposes” and although the phrase’s exact origin isn’t clear, it has been around since the time of Henry VIII (16th century). They also say that the phrase was originally known as ‘to all intents and purposes’, but “it is ‘for all intents and purposes’ that is now more widely used”.

Wisegeek.com says that it was probably used in the legal system as a slightly longer phrase “for all intents, constructions and purposes”. They also quite rightly pointed out that the word ‘intents’ doesn’t need to be plural because you could say “it was her intent to go outside” (for singular) or “it was their intent to go outside” (for plural).

An example of when you might use this phrase is when something is ‘more or less true’ or ‘true in effect’. e.g. “For all intents and purposes Chloe was the manager, even though she hadn’t formally been promoted”.

For all ‘intensive’ purposes

The phrase ‘for all intensive purposes’ is occasionally used in place of ‘for all intents and purposes’; however, it is incorrect. There is much debate over this with the many examples printed – an example of this misprint can be found in the Indiana newspaper The Fort Wayne Daily Gazette as early as May 1870 (source: Phrases.org).

Is ‘for all intents and purposes’ a phrase you use?

Until tomorrow…

Sandra
www.sandramadeira.com
14 days to go on My Writing Challenge…

Note 350 – Time flies when you are having fun

Sandra Madeira — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 16:38:28 +0000

A colleague said this to me at the end of a busy day last week. Knowing that this is a very popular phrase, I thought that I’d look up its origin on the way home. After scribbling down some notes, it gave me an idea for today’s post. The term time flies is “used to mean that time passes very and surprisingly quickly”, according to the online Cambridge dictionary.

Phrases.org.uk‘s bulletin board doesn’t have the origin for time flies when you are having fun, but the proverb time flies can be “traced back in English to 1386 in Chaucer’s ‘Prologue to the Clerk’s Tale.’ The earliest American appearance in print is 1710 in ‘Mayflower Descendant’”.

In a BBC.co.uk health article called ‘Why having fun makes time speed’, they explain how scientists have come up with a theory of how time goes quickly when you are doing something you like doing and goes slow when you are bored. The theory is that “patterns of activity in the brain change depending on how we focus on a task”. Scans show that if we are using our brains to concentrate on lots of aspects of something then “it has to spread its resources thinly, and pays less heed to time passing”. On the other hand if you are bored then you might concentrate on the “passing of time” instead.

Interesting article…and definitely worth a read. I can’t say that I’ve ever been bored, I’m too busy for that, but I’m not necessarily always having fun! Maybe even in times of doing something uninteresting, the concept is to focus on all aspects of it and then the brain won’t have time to focus on the ‘passing of time’ and you’ll then get to the more exciting tasks quicker.

I suppose the reverse is also true in that if you are in the middle of something you enjoy, it might be a good idea to stop focusing on all aspects of it for a while to slow things down a bit.

According to the The Free Dictionary, ‘time files when you are having fun’ is also used in a sarcastic way when you are not really enjoying something e.g. “It took me five hours to clean the house from top to bottom today – time flies when you are having fun!”.

Do you use this phrase a lot?

Until tomorrow…

Sandra
www.sandramadeira.com
16 days of My Writing Challenge to go…

Note 320 – The phrase okey dokey

Sandra Madeira — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:04:42 +0000

I wrote this phrase in an email the other day and wondered about its origin. Phrases.org.uk define this as an American phrase first seen in the late 20th century and is another way of saying ‘okay’; however they list other American meanings as ‘absurd, ridiculous or ‘to swindle or deceive’ (which personally I’ve never used). They also show alternative spellings as follows:

okay doke
okey doke
okee-doke
okely-dokely (apparently originating from the Simpsons)

Oxford Dictionaries.com have the word hypenated i.e. okey-dokey and explain that it’s an exclamation, adjective or adverb meaning ok.

How to use it in a sentence

“Will you pick Sara up from the station please?” said Jason.
“Okey dokey” I replied.

As an aside

Quite by chance, I stumbled upon a website called Okey Dokey.co.uk that is aimed at students learning English – which might be of use to someone.

Additional note: Since writing this blog, I have had an interesting comment from one of my readers who knows a bit more about this phrase – please see comments.

That’s all for today

Until tomorrow…

Sandra
46 days of My Writing Challenge to go…

Note 308 – The phrase ‘chip on your shoulder’

Sandra Madeira — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 21:34:27 +0000

Where does the phrase chip on your shoulder come from and what does it mean? Wikipedia call it a metaphor that describes people who “nurse a grudge or grievance that readily provokes fury or disputation”. Cambridge Dictionaries online define the phrase as seeming “angry all the time because you think you have been treated unfairly or feel you are not as good as other people”. According to The Phrase Finder it is “a perceived grievance or sense of inferiority”.

Origin

The Phrase Finder also explains that back in the 19th century it was “the U.S. practice of spoiling for a fight by carrying a chip of wood on one’s shoulder, daring others to knock it off”. Quotes and explanations of a similar nature can be found in two separate American newspapers in 1830 as shown on Know your phrase.com, who define it as “being angry about something that happened in the past“.

Sentences

Example sentences using this phrase (and similar phrases) might be:

I think you have a chip on your shoulder because you get upset with me for no reason!
James has a chip on his shoulder about leaving school without any qualifications

That’s all for today

Until tomorrow…

Sandra
www.sandramadeira.com
www.tipsandluxuries.com

Note 305 – Lo and behold v Low and behold

Sandra Madeira — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:37:02 +0000

The correct phrase is lo and behold; however, I felt it necessary to make a note about it today because I actually spelled it low and behold in my blog yesterday (all corrected now) and wanted to make sure I don’t make that mistake again! After a bit of googling though, it appears that it’s a common error. Here’s some information from a few of the sites I visited:

Phrase definition

Maven’s word of the day (Randomhouse.com) explains that lo and behold is “used as an expression of surprise”.

The Free Dictionary.com define lo and behold as a humorous expression and ”something that you say when you tell someone about something surprising that happened”.

Meaning of the individual words

Phrases.org.uk write: “Lo is slightly archaic for ‘look’ and behold for ‘see’ (or the like) so means something like ‘look, see!’”.

Wiki Answers have posted something similar explaining that lo is archaic English for ‘look’ and behold is “to see and recognise something”. They refer to sightings in the older versions of the bible when Jesus was pointing things out to his listeners.

The use of ‘lo and behold’ in sentences

Lo and behold she turned up half and hour late!
I typed it in google and lo and behold I found just what I was looking for.

That’s all for today

Until tomorrow…

Sandra
www.sandramadeira.com

Note 281 – Do you say vicious circle or vicious cycle?

Sandra Madeira — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:39:07 +0000

Image via Wikipedia - Vicious circle in macroeconomics

Having always used the expression vicious circle, I was confused when I heard vicious cycle mentioned on an audio programme the other day. After some research I have found that both are used, although vicious circle is preferred. Here are a few notes:

Cambridge Dictionaries online define vicious circle as “a continuing unpleasant situation, created when one problem causes another problem which then makes the first problem worse”.
Wikipedia calls both expressions economic terms referring to a “complex of events that reinforces itself through a feedback loop”. They also mention a variation - a virtuous circle or cycle – the difference being that a virtuous one has favourable results whereas a vicious one has detrimental results (which makes sense I suppose).
Urban Dictionary.com says that the correct term is vicious circle, although they do include similar definitions under vicious cycle.
Bee Dictionary.com says that “the term ‘vicious circle’ was invented by logicians to describe a form of fallacious circular argument in which each term of the argument draws on the other”. They explain that when people talk about vicious circles they have sensed that “such destructive spirals are not closed loops” which could be a reason why people have started to use vicious cycle. However they do not suggest using cycle as most people (who have always used circle) would look at you with contempt!

My thoughts: I’d say it’s up to you what you use, but I think I’ll stick to vicious circle.

Which term do you use – vicious circle or vicious cycle?

Until tomorrow…

Sandra
Freelance Writer
www.sandramadeira.com

Psychology | Virtuous and Vicious circles (mike10613.wordpress.com)

Note 247 – Definition and Origin of ‘Beck and Call’

Sandra Madeira — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:24:25 +0000

When I used the phrase beck and call in Have you Asked for Time to Yourself? (one of my other blogs), I made a mental note that I was going to define it at some point, and find out a little bit more about its origin. According to usingenglish.com, a person who is at your beck and call is ”someone who does everything for you, no matter when you ask”.

The Free Dictionary.com states that beck is a “a gesture of beckoning or summons” and the idiom beck and call means “ready to comply with any wish or command”.

Wiki Answers has a few interesting comments where someone has asked if the phrase should be ‘beckon call’ or even ‘beckoned call’; however, they were both disputed on the site as being incorrect. Someone then added that beck is just a shorted version of beckon (old Germanic word for ‘signal’), but even though the word beck was around in 1300s (also confirmed in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary), the phrase beck and call actually only dates back to 1875.

I do like one of the explanations on Wiki Answers where they state that “beck is a silent summoning, as in a nod or other gesture or a beacon, and a call is a sounded summoning, as in a shout or other type of oral command or a bugle or drum.”

Phrasefinder have an entry from from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary: “at one’s beck and call: ready to obey one’s command immediately”. (Note: I haven’t been able to trace this back to Merriam-Webster online dictionary).

The use of beck and call in a sentence

As a servant, Simon is at his master’s beck and call.
“I feel like I am at your beck and call, now that you have broken your leg!” said Susan.

Have you got anything else to add for the meaning or origin of this phrase?

That’s it for today.

Until tomorrow…

Sandra
Freelance Writer
www.sandramadeira.com

Note 208 – The Latin expression ‘per se’

Sandra Madeira — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 21:48:29 +0000

According to Wikipedia, per se is a Latin phrase meaning ’in itself’, although the individual Latin words can be defined as:

per = by or through
se = itself, himself, herself or themselves

The Merriam Webster dictionary explains that per se can be used as an adverb or an adjective as follows:

Definition of per se as an adverb (source: Merriam Webster)

‘by’, ‘of’, or ‘in’ itself (or oneself or themselves)
as such
intrinsically

Example: It was not the exact colour per se, but it was close enough (where per se means ‘as such’)

Definition of per se as an adjective (source: Merriam Webster)

being such inherently, clearly, or as a matter of law per se conflict of interest>

Some other facts about per se (source: Wiktionary)

As per se is a Latin phrase, it is sometimes written in italics.
It was known as persé until a spelling reform in 1995 made it obsolete.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s blog.

Until tomorrow…

Sandra
Freelance writer
www.sandramadeira.com
(For information on my services as a freelance writer as well as details of my book and other blogs).

This blog post forms part of My Writing Challenge.
Requests for future blogs (punctuation/grammar/writing tips) are always welcome

Email subscription – please click ‘sign me up’ on the home page (RSS feed also available).
Twitter – @madeirasandra
Facebook page – Tips and Luxuries

Note 204 – How metaphors are different to similes

Sandra Madeira — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:13:33 +0000

Yesterday I blogged about similes and today I am going to explain how they differ from metaphors. Graham King in his book Collins Improve your Writing Skills, explains that metaphors are “describing something by using an analogy with something quite different”. In the example it’s raining cats and dogs, we don’t actually think that there are cats and dogs falling from the sky, but rather that it is raining heavily.

Metaphors are part of our everyday language and can actually help to explain a point; however, ocassionally they are overused. It takes an expert to create new metaphors that will liven up a piece of writing, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Like others, I would tend to use the tried and trusted ones, for example I may describe someone as being a diamond in the rough, having a heart of gold or being the apple of my eye (but not in one sentence of course). It’s not clever to mix your metaphors.

The difference between similes and metaphors

Whilst similes compare dissimilar things using the words ‘as’ and ’like’, a metaphor “implies resemblance without using words of comparison such as like” writes Richard C Lamb in his book The Queen’s English. The following two websites contain lists of metaphors and give similar explanations of the difference between similes and metaphors.

Until tomorrow…

Sandra
Freelance writer
www.sandramadeira.com
(For information on my services as a freelance writer as well as details of my book and other blogs).

This blog post forms part of My Writing Challenge.
Requests for future blogs (punctuation/grammar/writing tips) are always welcome

Email subscription - please click ‘sign me up’ on the home page (RSS feed also available).
Twitter – @madeirasandra
Facebook page - Tips and Luxuries

Understand Similes and Metaphors (bardicblogger.wordpress.com)
Right As Rain (worldofpoets.wordpress.com)
What is the simile for as hasty as (wiki.answers.com)
Metaphor vs. Simile (pknatz.wordpress.com)

Note 203 – The use of similes in writing

Sandra Madeira — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:17:07 +0000

According to Graham King in his book Collins Improve your Writing Skills, a simile “makes a direct comparison between two dissimilar things”, for example, as fit as a fiddle or as drunk as a skunk and similes are usually joined by the introductory words ‘as’, ‘like’, ‘as if’ or ‘as though’. Bernard C Lamb in his book The Queen’s English calls them ‘figures of speech’ that can also be called clichés if they are overused.

So, should we use them in our writing? The answer is it’s up to you, but although these phrases can sometimes make our writing seem a little tired, they can also liven up a poem or article when used well.

Here are a few similes used in sentences:

Sophie looked as snug as a bug in a rug in her new sleeping bag
I was as busy as a bee doing my chores this morning.
The film made her cry even though she’s usually as tough as old boots.
He was as happy as a lark when I picked him up from school.

If would like to see some more examples of similes - English Club have a great list.

I’m pleased to announce that my blog hits broke through the 4000 barrier in the early hours of this morning. I just want to express my thanks to all my dedicated followers and also to welcome any newcomers today.

Until tomorrow…

Sandra
Freelance writer
www.sandramadeira.com
(For information on my services as a freelance writer as well as details of my book and other blogs).

This blog post forms part of My Writing Challenge.
Requests for future blogs (punctuation/grammar/writing tips) are always welcome

Email subscription - please click ‘sign me up’ on the home page (RSS feed also available).
Twitter – @madeirasandra
Facebook page - Tips and Luxuries

My Writing Notebook » Phrases

Note 352 – The phrase ‘for all intents and purposes’

Note 350 – Time flies when you are having fun

Note 320 – The phrase okey dokey

Note 308 – The phrase ‘chip on your shoulder’

Note 305 – Lo and behold v Low and behold

Note 281 – Do you say vicious circle or vicious cycle?

Related articles

Note 247 – Definition and Origin of ‘Beck and Call’

Note 208 – The Latin expression ‘per se’

Note 204 – How metaphors are different to similes

Related articles

Note 203 – The use of similes in writing