a/the classic sign

[Ostap]

"Having to say “what?” frequently when people are speaking is a classic sign that you are experiencing hearing loss."
source

Hello,
I did a search on the internet on the phrase "is the/a classic sign that (something is the case)", and found out that "a classic sign" is used more frequently than "the classic sign" in various contexts. And it looks that "the classic sign" doesn't mean at all that it's the only classic sign. I think with "the" it's just more emphatic than with "a", but the meaning is essentially the same.
What is your opinion?

 

[emsr2d2]

As a general rule, we say "that's a classic sign" because there is almost always more than one "classic sign" for any particular scenario. I would use "the classic sign" only in the emphatic way that you described. However, I would probably use it only if there actually was just one classic sign.

 

[Tdol]

There can be other ways of noticing hearing loss.

 

[jutfrank]

I did a search on the internet on the phrase "is the/a classic sign that (something is the case)", and found out that "a classic sign" is used more frequently than "the classic sign" in various contexts.

I wonder what you were able to conclude from that.

And it looks that "the classic sign" doesn't mean at all that it's the only classic sign.

What do you mean by 'it looks like'? Is that your own impression? How did you arrive at this idea?

I think with "the" it's just more emphatic than with "a", but the meaning is essentially the same.
What is your opinion?

This isn't a matter of opinion. The difference is the meaning (the reference) and this is not related to emphasis. In the context we're discussing, only a is possible, for reasons already outlined above.

 

[Ostap]

I wonder what you were able to conclude from that.

What do you mean by 'it looks like'? Is that your own impression? How did you arrive at this idea?

This isn't a matter of opinion. The difference is the meaning (the reference) and this is not related to emphasis. In the context we're discussing, only a is possible, for reasons already outlined above.

The following are typical examples of what I meant.

"A late period in and of itself doesn’t necessarily mean you’re pregnant, but if yours is very regular, then it can be. Some women have a very light period or spotting instead of missing it altogether. In any case, this is the classic sign that you might be pregnant, especially when coupled with any or all of the following symptoms."

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"Getting a toothache is the classic sign that you have a cavity that requires filling. Other symptoms that indicate a potential cavity include:"

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"8) You're lways worrying
This is the classic sign that you’re betting against your life going well so no matter what happens, you worry."

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In the above cases, "the classical sign" is one of many.

 

[5jj]

There's a lot of poor writing about.

 

[Tarheel]

In those cases, by "the classic sign", they mean "the chief indicator". For example, if a woman has missed her period, people tend to think she might be pregnant.