English can be a funny language

Do you sometimes have one of those moments when you question the meaning of a commonly used expression?

The other week I heard a story on the radio about someone coming to Australia during the war. They recounted that the ship was lucky to survive as it was attacked but fortunately the torpedo was a "near miss" and every one was safe. Somehow "near miss" has stuck in my mind.

Consider:

1. If the torpedo completely "missed" the target the ship survived - this is a "miss"
2. If the torpedo had a direct "hit" the ship would have probably sunk - this is a "hit"
3. If the torpedo just missed the ship, the ship would have survived - is this a "near hit", but we call it a "near miss"?:?
4. If the torpedo just hit the ship, the ship would have probably sunk - isn't this a "near miss"?

I wonder if "near miss" is an oxymoron?

I'm still thinking about "over engineered"...:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chrisp

Do you sometimes have one of those moments when you question the meaning of a commonly used expression?

The other week I heard a story on the radio about someone coming to Australia during the war. They recounted that the ship was lucky to survive as it was attacked but fortunately the torpedo was a "near miss" and every one was safe. Somehow "near miss" has stuck in my mind.

Consider:

1. If the torpedo completely "missed" the target the ship survived - this is a "miss"
2. If the torpedo had a direct "hit" the ship would have probably sunk - this is a "hit"
3. If the torpedo just missed the ship, the ship would have survived - is this a "near hit", but we call it a "near miss"?:?
4. If the torpedo just hit the ship, the ship would have probably sunk - isn't this a "near miss"?

I wonder if "near miss" is an oxymoron?

I'm still thinking about "over engineered"...:)

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I'm not sure what the relevant term for it is but I think near miss is a kind of contraction. I think it is short for "near but missed". In other words "near" does not affect the word miss but is an adverb qualifying where the torpedo "was". The second verb "missed" has become a noun, "miss".

It means a miss that was damn near being a hit!

What about cheap at half the price. That one always has me stumped...

At home here in Aus. after two weeks in England, I got to thinking about the "English" we use. How about......
cheese and kisses = missus = wife
butchers hook = crook = sick
joe blake = snake and so on.
Where did these come from? there are enough of these to fill ten books. Want to add to them?
Jim

tit for = tit for tat = hat

'twas the poms who started that - cockney rhyming slang.

Butchers actually means to have a look: butcher's hook, look, take a butchers at that. Tea leaf = thief, porkies = pork pies = lies. And so on. It was all their invention, we just took it over.

Have a butchers at this, me old china:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockney_rhyming_slang

Their is a word for it but I got hit in the head the other day and now can't remember.
Another example is advanced warning or prior warning.
The use of an adjective where the verb or noun is descriptive is a 'serious problem' for those who suffer from verbally speaking too much all the time.:D

Gonna go and have a Ruby Murray then?

Nah I had a dog's eye for lunch with the trouble and strife.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by silentC

Nah I had a dog's eye for lunch with the trouble and strife.

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So did you have some dead horse on it?

Yep. And it was a Sydney pie too...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by silentC

Yep. And it was a Sydney pie too...

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Didn't drip any on yer whistle & flute?:D

You mean bag of fruit? Nah, I don't get dressed up for work any more :D

It's a tautology.