- Image via Wikipedia
We hear phrases all our lives and know what they mean in the context of what we’re trying to say but sometimes, the word or phrase by itself makes no sense at all.
So I’m writing along about something and say that the average consumer, by and large…wait: or is it by in large or buy in large? And it makes no sense either way. So what are these words coming out of my typing fingers? I intend to mean “in general” or “taken as a whole”, but…
I’ll just let you read for yourself, mateys. And hoist up the portajohn and hitch up the bosuns. It’s a sailing ships nautical term meaning toward (by) the wind abaft the beam (large) –according to the Free dictionary) but the story’s more interesting at The Phrase Finder .
Everything I’ve touched this morning has broken. Don’t know why Zemanta images are not word-wrapping like they’re supposed to. I’d figure it out but have to fix everything else I’ve screwed up this morning–and it’s barely 5 o’clock yet. Low biorhythms I guess.
Very interesting – so interesting that I subscribed to the weekly phrase explanation. This takes etymology one step up the ladder, no?