as good as a swimmer as any of us

[joham]

He's as good a swimmer as any of us.

Which of the sentences below is the closest in meaning to this sentence?
1. He is the best swimmer among us.
2. He is one of the best swimmers among us.
3. He swims well, like us.
or anything else?
Thank you in advance.

 

[meobeo]

He's as good a swimmer as any of us.

Which of the sentences below is the closest in meaning to this sentence?
1. He is the best swimmer among us.
2. He is one of the best swimmers among us.
3. He swims well, like us.
or anything else?

I would choose number 3 although it very depends on the context. If the speaker is refering to a group of very bad swimmers, then maybe he/she is sarcastiscally hinting that "He's no better than us at swimming." At any rate, I still think choice 3 makes the most sense.

 

[joemayerich]

Number 2 is the best choice. Everyone might not swim well and he's as good as the best. But obviously if he was the best, you would just say it.

 

[TheParser]

He's as good a swimmer as any of us.

Which of the sentences below is the closest in meaning to this sentence?
1. He is the best swimmer among us.
2. He is one of the best swimmers among us.
3. He swims well, like us.
or anything else?
Thank you in advance.

********** NOT A TEACHER **********

Hello.

(1) I "vote" for No. 3.

(2) To me, your sentence means:

As a swimmer, he is no better and no worse than we are.

THANK YOU

 

[shroob]

Not a teacher only a native.

I vote for number 2. Whenever I've heard the phrase I have taken it to mean that someone is on par with the best of a group. Therefore he is as good a swimmer as the best of his group.

 

[SoothingDave]

I say three. I've always understood it to mean "average." Not "the best." He's as good as the group is, on average. He doesn't stand out as the best or the worst.

Why would you say he's as good as us if you mean he's the best?

 

[jiamajia]

I would put it into a specific context to understand the sentence based on who says it.

If Michael Phelps would say that, it could mean he is really a good swimmer.
If my sister said that, he might be an average and mediocre swimmer.