http://www.englishforums.com/English/GeneralEnglishGrammarQuestions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here.enCSMOD (Build: 3273.32735)http://www.englishforums.com/English/SecondGuess/gwmrx/post.htm#543912Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:06:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:543912Marius Hancu0http://www.englishforums.com/English/SecondGuess/gwmrx/post.htm#543912http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-543912.xml&nbsp;-------<b></b></p><p><b>second-guess</b></p><p>&nbsp;<b>1</b> <b>:</b> to apply hindsight to or to the course of action of</p><p>&nbsp;<font>http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com</font></p><p>-------&nbsp;</p><p>Monday morning quarterbacking ...&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;<div style="clear:both;"></div>http://www.englishforums.com/English/SecondGuess/gwlxw/post.htm#543855Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:07:30 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:543855New2grammar1http://www.englishforums.com/English/SecondGuess/gwlxw/post.htm#543855http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-543855.xmlYour explanation is really clear. What triggered me asking this question is actually a post by Martin. If you look at his post, he said he second guessed himself but I see no link between your definition and his case. I may not completely understand the usage, so please help me see his usage. (at the bottom in the first page). There are no motives. I see only disagreement just like my original example.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/RememberMentioningLeast/gwkxp/post.htm">http://www.englishforums.com/English/RememberMentioningLeast/gwkxp/post.htm</a><br /><br />P.S.: Does my post contain any mistakes? I can&#39;t help but second-guess myself because of my condition...<div style="clear:both;"></div>http://www.englishforums.com/English/SecondGuess/gwlxc/post.htm#543849Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:41:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:543849CalifJim2http://www.englishforums.com/English/SecondGuess/gwlxc/post.htm#543849http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-543849.xml<BLOCKQUOTE><div><img src="/Themes/englishforums/images/icon-quote.gif"> <strong>New2grammar</strong></div><div>Is Y second guessing?</div></BLOCKQUOTE> I wouldn&#39;t say so.&nbsp; This is simple disagreement.</p><p>Second-guessing is criticizing someone&#39;s motives.&nbsp; It&#39;s calling into question the reasoning or motives behind someone&#39;s decision.</p><p>Say that a public official makes a decision.&nbsp; He gives money, let&#39;s say, to a charitable organization.&nbsp; People start criticizing, saying that the official made the decision which would bring him the most financial gain.&nbsp; They act as if they knew better than the person who made the decision what motives were in that person&#39;s mind.&nbsp; They are second-guessing the decision.</p><p>Such criticism can apply to the actions of anyone, whether celebrities, or government officials, or sports figures, or your next-door neighbors.&nbsp; Any time you learn of some action done and the person&#39;s reason for doing it, and you call the reasoning into question, possibly inventing various scenarios that you imagine are, in your opinion, the &quot;real&quot; reason they acted as they did, you are second-guessing.</p><p>CJ&nbsp;<div style="clear:both;"></div>http://www.englishforums.com/English/SecondGuess/gwlng/post.htmSun, 20 Jul 2008 05:16:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:543836New2grammar3http://www.englishforums.com/English/SecondGuess/gwlng/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-543836.xmlAfter looking it up in the dictionary, I still don&#39;t understand the usage of second guess. <br /><br />X: The answer is A.<br />Y: I don&#39;t think the answer is A.<br /><br />Is Y second guessing?<br />Thanks.&nbsp;<div style="clear:both;"></div>