bmo

[bmo]

Please help:

1. Much ado about nothing. Which of the following two definitions would you prefer?

a. People arguing or worrying about nothing, or
b. People arguing or worrying about something that is of little consequence. And,
is the first one a correct definition at all?

2. "As easy as 1,2,3" and "As easy as 1-2-3." I have seen both being used, are they all correct to say some task is "as easy as turning one's own hand?"

3. This sentence, " 'As easy as 1,2,3' or 'As easy as 1-2-3' is a similar idiom, " is it grammatically correct? Since I use an "or," I need to use "is" to match.

4. This sentence, the agency is as inefficient as it has ever been - slow, over-burdened with paperwork, and the familiar bureaucracy.

I think this sentecne is wrong somewhere. Should I say "....... and with the familiar bureaucracy," or "..........and exhibiting the familiar bureaucracy?" Do I need "the" before familiar?

5. How would you say it to be like a native speaking?

Thanks again.

BMO

 

[RonBee]

1. My best guess is b.
2. I haven't heard as easy as turning one's own hand, but I'd say that is a good explanation for the meaning of as easy as 1, 2, 3.
3. I don't understand the question. :wink:
4. The phrase and the familiar bureaucracy does not make sense in that sentence. Perhaps:

• The agency is as inefficient as it has ever been -- slow and over-burdened with paperwork.

The word bureaucracy would not, generally speaking, be used to refer to a single agency.

 

[RonBee]

bureaucracy
http://www.bartleby.com/61/74/B0557400.html

 

[Casiopea]

1. Much ado about nothing.

The word ado means, to-do, a noun meaning, commotion or fuss, as in "He's making a big to-do over nothing." That is, he's making a mountain out of a mole hill: he's taking something small, of no real consquence and makin it a big deal. Given that explanation, I'd choose:

• b. People arguing or worrying about something that is of little consequence.

because b. expresses 'of little consquence'. Definition a. is okay, too, but b. is better.

2. "As easy as 1,2,3" and "As easy as 1-2-3." I have seen both being used, are they all correct to say some task is "as easy as turning one's own hand?"

I, myself, prefer 1-2-3, because the dashes (-...-...-) represent counting numbers. Counting to three is easy. We learn to count to three when we are three years old. It's something we know like the back of our hand. That is, it's very familiar to us.

3. This sentence, " 'As easy as 1,2,3' or 'As easy as 1-2-3' is a similar idiom, " is it grammatically correct? Since I use an "or," I need to use "is" to match.

"as easy as 1-2-3" and "as easy as 1,2,3" are similar idioms.
"as easy as 1-2-3" is similar to "as easy as 1,2,3".

By the way, 1-2-3 and 1,2,3 are different. The dashes mean counting and the commas (,..,..,) mean series, as in items 1,2,3 on a list of things to do.

 

[RonBee]

Thanks, Cas.

By the way, 1-2-3 and 1,2,3 are different. The dashes mean counting and the commas (,..,..,) mean series, as in items 1,2,3 on a list of things to do.

I'm not sure I would make that distinction, but that's okay if you want to.

:wink: