nessie000  +  700350 Thu, 23 Apr 09 03:57 PM Hi, Please have a look at this:   "You've seen Wall Street all but disappear"   => Does it mean exactly as ''You've seen Wall Street disappear completely''?   Many thanks, Nessie. nessie000 Joined on Thu, Dec 4 2008 Full Member 200

	Grammar Geek  +  700354 Thu, 23 Apr 09 04:09 PM Hi Nessie,   No. The phrase "all but" mean almost completely but not completely.   You've seen Wall Street almost completely disappear. (It's hyberbole. Wall Street isn't going anywhere.)       Grammar Geek 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!