[title]Family quotes[/title] [description]Welcome to our family quotes section! Here you'll find some of the funniest (and wisest) quotes on the subject of family life![/description]
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Latest post Sun, Feb 11 2007 2:10 PM by Rdep01. 13 replies.
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Rdep01  +  323767 Sat, 03 Feb 07 10:52 PM
Hello everybody, Smile [:)]

I know what "wear and tear" means, but I don't understand what does mean "tear" here

Could you explain me ?

"Seat covers on trains take a lot of wear and tear"

People don't tear on covers, isn't it ?


Thank you by advance Smile [:)]
Joined on Sat, Jun 24 2006
New Member 46
Annvan, 2 yr 295 days ago
"Wear and tear" can mean here damage from continuous use.
Marius Hancu, 2 yr 295 days ago
The seat covers are worn and are torn. I think the effect is pretty clear.
Tam Sadek  +  323795 Sun, 04 Feb 07 12:53 AM

Yes it is, and the following from Wikipedia may also help in clarifying this meaning :

Wear and tear is a term for damage that naturally and inevitably occurs due to normal use or aging. It is used in a legal context for such areas as warranty contracts from manufacturers, which usually stipulate that damage due to wear and tear will not be covered.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wear_and_tear

Hope that helps...

Joined on Wed, Oct 4 2006
Full Member 265
The more you see, the less you know...
MrPedantic  +  323803 Sun, 04 Feb 07 01:05 AM

but I don't understand what does mean "tear" here

As a footnote: "tear" is a noun, in this context, as is "wear". It means the damage caused by tearing, or any similar action.

"Wear and tear" is a set phrase. Thus an object which shows "wear and tear" is not necessarily "torn". It may simply appear to have undergone much use.

MrP

Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004
Veteran Member 12,592
...opella forensis / adducit febris...
Tam Sadek, 2 yr 295 days ago
Agreed, Mr P!
Anonymous, 2 yr 293 days ago

Thanks everybody for your answers Smile [:)]

In my dictionary, I have three "entries" (three meanings) for the verb "tear" :

tear : "cry"
tear : "separate"
tear : "hurry"

So, could you give me a synonym for "torn" in the sentence below ?

Then I'm sure I will understand Wink [;)]

 Marius Hancu wrote:
The seat covers are worn and are torn.

Grammar Geek  +  325252 Tue, 06 Feb 07 06:44 PM

Of the three you list, "separate" is the closest. If you have a tear in your clothing, it means a rip or a small hole - although usually long rather than round.

But as the conversation continued on, you may have understood that they may not have actually had holes in them. They were simply no longer new looking. They showed the signs of being used over time that is commonly referred to as "wear and tear."

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006
Veteran Member 19,683
Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
Marius Hancu, 2 yr 293 days ago
Use a better dictionary:

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/tear

See [3, verb] there

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