ESL, Learn Basic English Vocabulary

Re: not for nothing

Locika — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:30:44 GMT

solution could be - a plastic flowers but I am sure they wouldn`t care about them. Cats are choosy. only fresh flowers with fresh water are ok to play with...Thanks again and I am sure to bother you with some questions soon...

greetings

Locika

Re: not for nothing

Grammar Geek — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:19:27 GMT

Like "the" hamburger - the idea of the hamburger.

Thanks - that's Minnie. She was a big troublemaker when I got her. She's a lot bigger and a lot calmer now. She has two older cat-siblings too. They are sweet and rarely make trouble - except they can't seem to keep away from any flowers in a vase. I can't tell you how many times I've come home to find flowers all over the table and floor, a wet carpet, and an empty vase!

Re: not for nothing

Locika — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:01:04 GMT

I like hamburger. Good example. thanks again and hello to your cat! (from avatar?)

Re: not for nothing

Grammar Geek — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:11:48 GMT

Oh, I see. It's a bad example, because you're talking about an illegal/recreational drug with the first case, and people may make the mistaken assumption that I did - that you're suggesting there is coke in Coke today. Perhaps something like "the hamburger" or "the hotdog" would be better?

Re: not for nothing

Locika — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:04:05 GMT

Grammar Geek
I don't know anything about corrida, but Coke in the US has no traces of cocaine. It's a bad simile.

Thank you GG, for the great help! What I ment with the corrida and coke, it is not an amount of cocaine.. I thought, for us, Czechs and actualy all slavic nations it is a part of the culture to use poppyseed in the bakery, as a part of culture if you (hypoteticaly) take it away, we will be losing a little bit of our culture...I wanted to compare with something and now the simplest thing I find out is Coke... Do you think it is bad example?

Re: not for nothing

Grammar Geek — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:48:03 GMT

Hi Locika,

The construction is "Not for nothing is..." with the verb (is) coming right after "nothing," and make sure you capitalize Latin.

It's pretty informal. You may want to say something else like "It's not a coincidence that..."

"and that morphine is just a step away from Morfeus, the god of dreams." Don't capitalize G in God when you are using it as a common noun.

I don't know anything about corrida, but Coke in the US has no traces of cocaine. It's a bad simile.

Have fun with your essay.

not for nothing

Locika — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:25:09 GMT

Hi,

Please can you just tell me if my thoughts are understandible?

we are talking about poppy seeds and its content of morphin. Now I would like to say: not for nothing its latin name is papaver somniferum (does it make sesne? I want to express that the name is significant to the plant operation) and from morfin just a step to Morfeus, God of dreams. However we are eating it, it is part of our culture. If you take it away from us it would be similar to taking away the corrida from Pamplona or Coke from USA.

Thank you very much