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What is a near miss?


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I guess for it to be correct you might say "near hit"  ... 

 

But the more I explain common sayings and terminology to my colleagues for whom english is a second language, the more I am convinced english is a hopelessly broken language.

 

 

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I remember the trouble I got in from failing to control my mostly-quiet laughter when my former mother-in-law passed a phone message to my wife: "They just called with the results of your brain scan! They didn't see anything!" 

 

Probably didn't help that English, as you mentioned, Kurt, was not their first language even though their mastery of it was almost complete. The world's just devoid of laughter and joy....

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Here's another; years ago when I was a delivery driver for a major pizza chain, we had a manager who unwittingly would tell us as we headed out the door "Be safe and hurry back!" 

Finally I asked him which one he wanted?! Boy, was he surprised!

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2 hours ago, Kurt H. said:

But the more I explain common sayings and terminology to my colleagues for whom english is a second language, the more I am convinced english is a hopelessly broken language.

 

English isn't broken, it's just wildly inconsistent. James Nicoll describes one of the several reasons:

Quote

The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.

 

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1 hour ago, Emvar said:

Yeah we got a saying at the airline "Hurry up and wait" the new word for hurry is hustle....... and wait is " Stand by" 

 

 

To bring up George Carlin again, Airlines also use the term pre-boarding. There is no such thing, you either get on the plane or you don't.

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In sequence of distance from the centre of the target, there is:

Missed by a mile (or Mister Byamile)

In the ball-park

You missed it (I was watching the target, and I saw the hit in the scope's field)

you just missed it

you nicked the target's edge (or simply, you nicked it)

hit - right on the edge of the target

hit (on the target)

bull('s eye)

V-bull

perfect bull (= a hit in the exact centre of the target)

 

Or are you talking about catching a train / plane?

In this case, you either caught the train, or you didn't, and so

you are either inthe train, or still on the platform when it is 100mr fron the platform

 

George, out......................

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5 hours ago, Alternative 4 said:

 

To bring up George Carlin again, Airlines also use the term pre-boarding. There is no such thing, you either get on the plane or you don't.

 

Also "Okay, let's get on the plane."

"Nope!! I'm getting IN!!!!"

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9 hours ago, Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy said:

I remember the trouble I got in from failing to control my mostly-quiet laughter when my former mother-in-law passed a phone message to my wife: "They just called with the results of your brain scan! They didn't see anything!" 

 

Probably didn't help that English, as you mentioned, Kurt, was not their first language even though their mastery of it was almost complete. The world's just devoid of laughter and joy....

That's rather funny!

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6 hours ago, TheLoggie said:

In sequence of distance from the centre of the target, there is:

Missed by a mile (or Mister Byamile)

In the ball-park

You missed it (I was watching the target, and I saw the hit in the scope's field)

you just missed it

you nicked the target's edge (or simply, you nicked it)

hit - right on the edge of the target

hit (on the target)

bull('s eye)

V-bull

perfect bull (= a hit in the exact centre of the target)

 

You forgot Maxwell Smart - "Missed it by *that* much". :)

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18 hours ago, Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy said:

 

Also "Okay, let's get on the plane."

"Nope!! I'm getting IN!!!!"

 

Well spotted.

 

My least favorite saying in the english language is raze to the ground. I know it is technically correct, but to raise is to elevate not burn down!

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