anything but, nothing less/more than, more often than not etc.
I would like to know ""why"" the following phrases have such meanings:
[I know it is difficult to explain though. It would be very grateful if you can try to explain]
- anything but (= definitely not)
-"everything but" (= definitely not)
Does "anything" mean "everything" here? But anything is used with not, like "I don't have anything". So it seems to mean nothing.
I know "But" here is served to mean an exception.
- no/nothing less than (=competely, exactly, surely)
- no/nothing more than (=only, just)
The above means "the same or more than something/that" and "not more than something/that" respectively and literally.
But I can't figure out why "the same or more than something/that" means the same as "completely/exactly/surely".
Why "not more than something/that" = "only/just"?
- more often than not (=meaning??)
I'm confused if the phrase the frequency of "more often than not" is any of the following:
- between "usually" and "often"
- over "usually"
- more or less the same as "usually"
And why does the above mean like that?
I would like to know ""why"" the following phrases have such meanings:
[I know it is difficult to explain though. It would be very grateful if you can try to explain]
- anything but (= definitely not)
-"everything but" (= definitely not)
Does "anything" mean "everything" here? But anything is used with not, like "I don't have anything". So it seems to mean nothing.
I know "But" here is served to mean an exception.
- no/nothing less than (=competely, exactly, surely)
- no/nothing more than (=only, just)
The above means "the same or more than something/that" and "not more than something/that" respectively and literally.
But I can't figure out why "the same or more than something/that" means the same as "completely/exactly/surely".
Why "not more than something/that" = "only/just"?
- more often than not (=meaning??)
I'm confused if the phrase the frequency of "more often than not" is any of the following:
- between "usually" and "often"
- over "usually"
- more or less the same as "usually"
And why does the above mean like that?