Appearances/Looks

[Niall]

Certainly.
However, we can't really state the second phrase as a fact, without it sounding awkward.
You need to add something to the end of the phrase (for example, when it changes), such as:
His appearance changes almost completely each time he goes to London. or
His appearance changes almost completely whenever he sees his girlfriend.

[angliholic]

Concurred! Thanks, Niall.

[moggy]

His appearance changed almost completely! His appearance has changed once

His appearance changes almost completely! This suggests that it continues to change on a regular basis.

Niall is right about the 180 degrees idiom. The reason it can't be 360 degrees is that there wouldn't be any change in that case. The idiom comes from navigation rather than pure maths, and the number of degrees indicates a heading, or change in heading. So you can see that, if one changes one's course 360 degrees, one moves in the opposite direction, and if you move through 360 deg. then you don't change course at all!

[angliholic]

Originally Posted by moggy

His appearance changed almost completely! His appearance has changed once

His appearance changes almost completely! This suggests that it continues to change on a regular basis.

Niall is right about the 180 degrees idiom. The reason it can't be 360 degrees is that there wouldn't be any change in that case. The idiom comes from navigation rather than pure maths, and the number of degrees indicates a heading, or change in heading. So you can see that, if one changes one's course 360 degrees, one moves in the opposite direction, and if you move through 360 deg. then you don't change course at all!

Moggy, thanks for the extra-technical reply.
I have difficulty understanding the line in bold; would you shed more light on it? Thanks.

[oitafish]

Originally Posted by Niall

As for your use of utter, possably it is used more frequently in America, but in Britain, we tend only to use it for some circumstances.
To me, as a Briton, it suggests that we are discussing something private or secret. We tend to use the word utter in phrases like I won't utter a word, meaning I wouldn't even whisper something queitly to myself.

I just wanted to comment on this. As a native speaker of American English, when I hear utter in spoken language, it sounds British to me. It is very rare that I hear it and when I do, it is usually by someone with a British accent. It is used a little bit in written English and when it is, it is just as described by Niall.

[angliholic]

Thanks, oitafish, for your viewpoint.
It's interesting, so I look it up again in the following link:
Urban Dictionary: utter


By the way, your alias is even more intriguing that our question. What does "oitafish" refer to? Is it a Japanese name since I couldn't find it anywhere in my dictionary?

[Naamplao]

Originally Posted by angliholic

Thanks, moggy.
It seems that there are distinct differences between appearance and looks to you. Would you describe in a few words what they are?

Looks usually applies to one's physical appearance...your face, body, etc.

Appearance applies to the whole person....their character, their choice of clothing and look.

[oitafish]

Originally Posted by angliholic

By the way, your alias is even more intriguing that our question. What does "oitafish" refer to? Is it a Japanese name since I couldn't find it anywhere in my dictionary?

I live in the city of Oita, Japan. It is a long "O" so it is sometimes spelled Ooita or Ohita. However, it might be easier for you to use Kanji. In Kanji, it is 大分.

Fishing is my hobby.

[angliholic]

Originally Posted by oitafish

I live in the city of Oita, Japan. It is a long "O" so it is sometimes spelled Ooita or Ohita. However, it might be easier for you to use Kanji. In Kanji, it is 大分.
Fishing is my hobby.

Thanks, Naamplao and and oitafish, for the extra info.