[Vocabulary] times a thousand

[maiabulela]

Dear all,

Does the expression "times a thousand" mean "a thousand times"?

Thanks.

 

[SoothingDave]

It could. Context matters.

 

[maiabulela]

It could. Context matters.

Some people visited "Bubble Gum Alley" and they say that. So?

 

[bhaisahab]

Some people visited "Bubble Gum Alley" and they say that. So?

What is "Bubble Gum Alley"?

 

[SoothingDave]

Some people visited "Bubble Gum Alley" and they say that. So?

They just say "times a thousand"? Nothing else?

 

[maiabulela]

They just say "times a thousand"? Nothing else?

Nothing else. I swear

 

[SoothingDave]

Then it's hard to answer.

If it's something like "Being on the golf course is like the best day at work times a thousand." (i.e. really great, and work can never compare)

This doesn't mean "Golfing is like the best day at work a thousand times." (i.e. marginally fun but still tedious and repetitious)

But "2000 is 2 times a thousand" and "2000 is 2 a thousand times" mean the same thing.

 

[maiabulela]

Then it's hard to answer.

If it's something like "Being on the golf course is like the best day at work times a thousand." (i.e. really great, and work can never compare)

This doesn't mean "Golfing is like the best day at work a thousand times." (i.e. marginally fun but still tedious and repetitious)

But "2000 is 2 times a thousand" and "2000 is 2 a thousand times" mean the same thing.

Sorry. They said "as if you stepped on a gum thousand a times" (I thought I wrote that in my first post. I apologize) [Bubble gum Alley is an alley that people stick gums they were chewing lol just for fun"

Hope that helps.

 

[Barb_D]

Sorry. They said "as if you stepped on a gum thousand a times" (I thought I wrote that in my first post. I apologize) [Bubble gum Alley is an alley that people stick gums they were chewing lol just for fun"

Hope that helps.

Sorry. This makes no sense to me at all. I guess stepping in someone else's gum 1000 times would be unpleasant.

(Gum is not countable. You can have sticks of gum, wads of gum, and packs of gum, but not gums.)

 

[maiabulela]

Sorry. This makes no sense to me at all. I guess stepping in someone else's gum 1000 times would be unpleasant.

(Gum is not countable. You can have sticks of gum, wads of gum, and packs of gum, but not gums.)

Please, all what am I asking for is {Does "times a thousand" mean "a thousand times"???} cos most of what they say doesnt make sense.

 

[Barb_D]

If the direct quote was exactly as you have it ("as if you stepped on a gum thousand a times") the speaker was not a native English speaker and it's impossible to guess what was meant.

The sequence of words "thousand a times" is not native. Neither is "a gum."

We cannot tell you that "thousand a times" = "one thousand times" or "thousands of times" because the original phrase has no meaning.

 

[maiabulela]

{IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU STEP ON A PIECE OF GUM TIMES A THOUSAND.}

I think that "times" here is a verb.

 

[Raymott]

{IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU STEP ON A PIECE OF GUM TIMES A THOUSAND.}

I think that "times" here is a verb.

This, now that you have given the correct sentence in full, is answerable.

This means, "It's a thousand times worse than when you step on a piece of gum." The feeling that you get is a thousand times worse than the feeling you get when you step on a piece of gum; or the complications are a thousand times worse ....
It does not mean "It's worse than when you step on a piece of gum a thousand times."

Learners could save a lot af angst if they could post the proper context with every question, the first time they post. (I'm speaking generally; not just to you, maiabulela.) Begging, such as, "I only want to know if X means Y" is pointless if you are withholding the context which contains the key to the answer.

 

[Barb_D]

Learners could save a lot af angst if they could post the proper context with every question, the first time they post. (I'm speaking generally; not just to you, maiabulela.) Begging, such as, "I only want to know if X means Y" is pointless if you are withholding the context which contains the key to the answer.

It would also help if the questions about material seen elsewhere were properly transcribed. We saw three (or was it four?) versions of this.

 

[maiabulela]

This, now that you have given the correct sentence in full, is answerable.

This means, "It's a thousand times worse than when you step on a piece of gum." The feeling that you get is a thousand times worse than the feeling you get when you step on a piece of gum; or the complications are a thousand times worse ....
It does not mean "It's worse than when you step on a piece of gum a thousand times."

Learners could save a lot af angst if they could post the proper context with every question, the first time they post. (I'm speaking generally; not just to you, maiabulela.) Begging, such as, "I only want to know if X means Y" is pointless if you are withholding the context which contains the key to the answer.

I posted it before but I posted it wrong (at first, I wrote "as if"!) That was may be because I'm not familiar with the term. That's why I might not take care of some slight differences.
I really appreciate your efforts and I apologize. But really nothing bad was meant. I try to think with you after I post a question. That's why I edit things and search for more context. It's not meant from the start not to provide context. :roll:
Thanks a lot my dear. (flower):up:

 

[Raymott]

It's not meant from the start not to provide context. :roll:
Thanks a lot my dear. (flower):up:

I know that. But you do understand, I hope, that we teachers are not being intransigent or difficult by refusing to answer an unanswerable question.

Thanks for the flower. Maybe there should be a flower icon. Here's one for you.
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