For example, "anything but ordinary"
Does that means being ordinary or being anything except for ordinary?
Thank you
2007-06-25 01:08:24 · 5 answers · asked by Hornet One 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
It's a cliche generally carelessly used by people that either can't think up something better or haven't considered the implications and ramification of the unqualified statement.
As an unrelated example, an (elderly) neighbour's favourite phrase exclamation was, "Well, bugger me!" She was mortified when my mother explained the term to her!
Generally the term is used (jokingly I think) as "Anything but /that/" without contemplating that, in effect, they are saying: That you can do /anything/ you want to me, as long as it's not /that/
Else, as you say, my (friend/relative/boss/) is "anything but normal" or "anything but friendly"
Ah, so (s)he's psychotic?
No, I never said that.
(S)he has a genetic abnormality like...
No. No! (S)he just...
Just what, keeps her toenail clippings in a coffee jar on the desk? Wow, that would be something. Gross mind.
Look, just forget it, OK!
Take this (actual) example:
Jesus was anything but ordinary, He rose from the grave!
Ah, so he suffered from catalepsy and they buried him by mistake. Well, that's a fairly rare condition.
No, He was dead and rose from the grave!
Right, so your god is actually some sort of flesh-eating zombie? I saw that Romera movie.
No, it's not like that!
Yes it is, doesn't it say something in your Sunday mass like, "eat of my flesh, drink of my blood". Sounds like something a zombie cult would do. Or Ghouls. Canibals maybe.
(Right about here they decided to stop selling religion to me, yep!)
2007-06-25 01:51:45 · answer #1 · answered by Malachim 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being anything except for ordinary
2007-06-25 08:12:43 · answer #2 · answered by Phartzalot 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means that you can say whatever you want about "this", but you can't say it is ordinary. It is anything except for ordinary.
2007-06-25 08:20:04 · answer #3 · answered by yotg 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
but is a kind of a like opposite word when there is a but its like however or except.
in 'anything but ordinary', the but means except
so it is anything except/beside ordinary.
the other way 'but' is used is like that:
she is real pretty but her manners puts me off.
In this case, 'but' refers to 'however'
Yr welcome
hope this helps
2007-06-25 09:18:37 · answer #4 · answered by BN 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it means not odinary...... think extrodinary
2007-06-25 08:16:00 · answer #5 · answered by nweiheng 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋