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- Dictionarybe·neath/bəˈnēTH/
preposition
- 1. extending or directly underneath, typically with close contact: "in the labyrinths beneath central Moscow"
- 2. at a lower level or layer than: "beneath this floor there's a cellar"
adverb
- 1. extending or directly underneath something: "a house built on stilts to allow air to circulate beneath"
- 2. at a lower level or layer: "the runways had cracked open, exposing the black earth beneath"
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These words are all similar in meaning, but figuring out the differences between them can be a little tricky. First, it's helpful to know how common each word is: "Under" is the most popular. "Below" is used about 1/4 as often as "under". "Beneath" is used 1/2 as often as "below". "Underneath" is used less than 1/2 as often as "beneath".
tuck (someone) in. "Tucking someone in" means sitting or standing next to their bed and helping them to get comfortable just before they go to sleep. Parents do this for their young children. In this phrase, the word "tuck" means to straighten out the sheets and blankets on the bed. You can also "tuck in" a shirt, which means to put the bottom ...
I mean it. Say this when you've complimented someone, but they don't seem to accept or believe your compliment. A: You're really talented. B: Yeah, whatever. A: No, I really mean it! You look great. I mean it; you really do. "I mean it" means "I'm serious" or "I'm telling the truth."
Explanation of the English phrase " (someone) is open to (an idea)": When you are "open to" a suggestion, it means that you might consider it. You don't mind thinking about it, and you might be convinced to follow the suggestion. For example, if you're trying to pick a restaurant to eat at, and a friend asks you whether you like Ethiopian food ...
living under a rock. When a person doesn't know about recent news, culture, or entertainment that's extremely well-known, you can ask: Have you been living under a rock? It means "How is it possible for you to not know about this?" Another way that people use "living under a rock" is:
A cliché (pronounced "clee- shay ") is an expression or idea that has been used over and over again. It was once clever, but now it's been used so many times that now it doesn't seem interesting or intelligent any more. Clichés are easy for people to understand because they're so familiar. But when you're trying to be creative or sound really ...
Use this phrase to talk about a large number of something. "Tens of thousands" could mean anything from 20,000 to 100,000, but it seems like it's on the higher end of that range. You can also say "tens of millions" like this: We've managed to cut tens of millions of dollars in costs from this year's budget. By the way, if you want to talk about ...
Not that I know of. Use this phrase when you want to answer "no" to someone's question, but you're not 100% sure that "no" is really the correct answer. Simply answering "no" makes it seem that you're completely sure that "no" is the correct answer. But if you answer "I don't know", it seems like you don't have any answer at all.
Explanation of the English phrase "be critical of (someone)": To "be critical of" someone means to talk about their faults and the things that they do wrong. When I spoke with the Director, she was mostly critical of the department and the job we were doing.
Use "Don't we all..." in this situation: Someone talks about something that they wish for: "I wish..." You wish for the same thing, and you think that a lot of other people do as well. The meaning of the phrase is something like "Yes, I wish for that too, but it's just a dream. It's not likely to come true."
