I’m concerned that this phrase may be insensitive to Native American culture, and I’m looking for alternative, culturally sensitive ways to make a point about not wasting resources. Answer Zero waste seems to be a standard term. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_waste http://zwia.org says : “Zero Waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, … Read more
Jiminy, by jiminy, jumpin’ jiminy etc —used as a mild oath often in the phrases by jiminy, jiminy crickets, jiminy Christmas -Merriam Webster In a more innocent age, and long before the ubiquitous present-day usage of "fuck" as an expletive, there used to be some rather quaint expressions to express surprise, or shock. Among these … Read more
This question is related to these two posts (please read those answers too): "Get to do something" What is difference between GOT TO and HAVE TO For example: “I got to spend time with my wife.” Does that sentence mean “I had the opportunity of spending time with my wife.”? Or does it mean “Now … Read more
I’m trying to convince readers that performing a particular activity -that is often perceived as boring- might be the best thing they can do for their business. For instance: “The act of clarifying your vision statement might not be the first thing you want to clear your schedule for, but it might be the best … Read more
Hello: What is the meaning of “I Owe, Therefore I Am” in the following title? – “I Owe, Therefore I Am: The Impossibility of Imagining a Post-Debt US“ Does it refer to someone owing someone something? Thanks! Answer The famous phrase from the philosopher Descartes is “I think, therefore I am” which originally denoted that … Read more
I was reading the book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari which has the following sentence: He describes his time in this far-away land as a personal odyssey of the self. What does this sentence mean? Answer The key point about the original Odyssey is that it involves not just a journey (full of adventure … Read more
Note – there is currently some misreading of this question, reflected in the given answers – it’s referring to the removal of unnecessary detail, from requirements, not a word for ‘simplifying the code’, or ‘simplifying the codebase’. Also I’ve now removed a paradoxical error that was previously present in the question I’m a software engineer, … Read more
A particularly quotable 1970s British comedy film includes the following pseudo-old-english instructions for dispatching a troublesome foe: First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin, then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou … Read more
In Brazilian Portuguese, we use the following expression: Fio do bigode (mustache wire/thread or mustache hair) Here’s what I found after researching: It consisted of a man giving as a warranty, for his word, a thread of his beard, usually removed from his mustache. Of controversial origin, mustache may have come from the old German … Read more
I heard someone describing another as “a high and fine person”. I couldn’t find this phrase online. It is certainly not high and dry as it doesn’t fit the context of their conversation. I wonder if it is American slang and what is the meaning of it? My guess on high and fine is a … Read more
