A third of a cup ?

Can somebody explain the meaning of " A third of a cup"?
Does it mean "One third of a cup" ?

And is "This isn't a big of a deal" = "This is no big deal" ?

...A...Of A...

please show me some examples w/explanations. Thank you.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Beetlejuice

Can somebody explain the meaning of " A third of a cup"?
Does it mean "One third of a cup" ?

And is "This isn't a big of a deal" = "This is no big deal" ?

...A...Of A...

please show me some examples w/explanations. Thank you.

1. a third of a cup and one third of a cup mean, 1/3.

2. This isn't that big of a deal ~ It's not that big of a deal means, It's important, but not as important as someone is making it out to be.

Example
Max: I got an email from my teacher, and I am afraid to open it because I think it's about the essay I wrote. I think I failed the course.
Sam: Would you like me to read the email?
Max: (nervous) OK.
Sam: (reading the email) It's not that big of a deal. It says you passed the course, but that you need to improve your writing skills.

Example
Pat: Sam, wake up! You're late for work!
Sam: Let me sleep. Being late for work isn't that big of a deal.
Pat: Oh yes it is! Get up!

Example
Sam: Ouch! Pat, your cat just scratched me!
Pat: Let's see the scratch.
Sam: It hurts.
Pat: You'll be OK. It's just a scratch.
Sam: It hurts!
Pat: It's not that big of a deal, Sam. It's only a scratch. The cat did even draw blood.

[Francois]

The comparative are of course fine (that/so/as big of a deal), but apparently you can also say, a big of a deal. Dunno if it's slang, incorrect or whatever....

FRC

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Francois

The comparative are of course fine (that/so/as big of a deal), but apparently you can also say, a big of a deal. Dunno if it's slang, incorrect or whatever....

FRC

Would you have a few examples handy? You see, in my dialect "It's (not) a big of a deal" is Not OK. Please teach me.

It's not such a big deal. :D
It's not that big of a deal. :D
It's not a big deal. :D
It's not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be.
It's (not) a big of a deal. :(

[Francois]

It might be :(, but I've already heard it. Maybe it's bad English, I told you I didn't know. You see, in every dialect people sometimes make mistakes.

FRC

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Francois

It might be :(, but I've already heard it. Maybe it's bad English, I told you I didn't know. You see, in every dialect people sometimes make mistakes.

FRC

Sorry. My point is that just because it's not OK in my dialect doesn't mean it's not OK in other dialects. :D I'd like to know more about "a big of a deal". Even if it turns out that it's not conventional, I'd still like to know more about it. Language changes as we speak, and it's the not-so-conventional forms that end up taking over, sort to speak. So, could you give me an example or two? I'd like to look at its form and distribution. That's what I do. Much appreciated. :D

[Francois]

Well, it was something like "it's not a big of a deal". Google finds some similar instances, too.

FRC

[Tdol]

Unnecessary prepositions are creeping in and others are being omitted in colloquial language in the UK, so you will come across things like 'big or a deal', but I think most would regard it as bad English.