Path: news.nzbot.com!not-for-mail
From: Enrico C <enrico.c@spamcop.net>
Newsgroups: alt.languages.english
Subject: Re: On the tin [An Idiom A Day #1]
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2003 15:44:46 +0100
Organization: MC-link S.p.A.
Lines: 39
Message-ID: <1hfyfyqculiov$.dlg@news.lillathedog.net>
References: <tiys1hzvwyvz$.dlg@news.lillathedog.net> <djBFb.130$1N2.159444@newsfep2-gui.server.ntli.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 213.203.156.37
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: newsreader1.mclink.it 1072104085 33074 213.203.156.37 (22 Dec 2003 14:41:25 GMT)
X-Complaints-To: usenet@newsreader1.mclink.it
NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2003 14:41:25 +0000 (UTC)
User-Agent: 40tude_Dialog/2.0.8.68it (c58c001e.336.107)
X-Face: (a4+af0-6{;Y.j"cd@Dd4>"^4m%3@{i9q``2C6u+X<MoECO,is%/20#=,W1GNl?cV{VRNHq 8R(oLuw0}7wz529riTkJr)e7|HQ;,6#38E.0?RNK@lalS$`R~U*WCoKU{<%@.b<nB?9IYXdBEaw}.9 Q/KtoYUiDiwpS2#68j@$N!BF#?1RHH|'/)KG);oH:${ZjLjGZG{d.ziq3|kLym?i$'ND(D
Xref: news.nzbot.com alt.languages.english:126
Zz | alt.languages.english
in <news:djBFb.130$1N2.159444@newsfep2-gui.server.ntli.net>
> Hello Enrico!
Hello Zz!
Nice to read you here too :)
> Very good... This expression is related to packaged goods. If
> you buy something, such as a food mixer, say, and it happens to be rather
> good at mixing food (as stated on the outside of the box), then it does
> exactly what it says on the tin. Some goods (particularly in the past) come
> packaged in tin boxes...
I didn't know about tin packages!
> I haven't bothered looking up the origins, but this
> one is quite straight forward. One could say that this idiom does exactly
> what it says on the tin! Operating instructions not included.
Yep! It's quite literal, indeed.
I wasn't able get it at first because I was looking for some more
"hidden" meaning!
Anyway, I also found an explanation about its origins, I wrote about
it in another post of mine.
> Merry Christmas!
> Zz
Thanks!
Merry Christmas to you --and to everybody on this NG!
(it doesn't seem to be very crowded, though, does it? ;)
--
Enrico C ~ No native speaker
|
|