Correcting a few typos

Posted by Bill Smith on November 22, 2003

In Reply to: Correcting a few typos posted by ESC on November 21, 2003

: : : : : 46.our military around the world is tapped out. Exhausted. Out of money, energy, resources. M-W online: Main Entry: tapped out. Function: adjective. Date: 1950
: : : out of money : BROKE

Yes. A "tap" is the faucet on a barrel of beer, or wine. To be out of money can also be just "tapped." Also, "tap city," but these are all very informal.

: : : : : 53. with all due respect to ... I respect you (or am saying I do) but I am going to say or do this anyway. Kind of a nod to an authority figure.

Yes. But, don't use this with someone in authority over you. The "between the lines" meaning is, "I will show you the least amount of respect I can," or "I will show you the amount of respect I think you deserve -- which is none."

: : : : : 54. make someone a token. If you're talking about a person being a "token" - M-W online: token - a member of a group (as a minority) that is included within a larger group through tokenism; especially : a token employee

Yes. Think "Well, we have to hire one minority to show that we hire them. Put him to work where he can be seen, but not where he can do too much damage."

: : : : : 57. with the economy taking off. Improving.

Well, it means improving rapidly. Think of a plane taking off.

: : : : : 58.bureaucratic foul-ups. Mistakes.

Yes. Think of a rope all tangled up in a boat's propeller. "The propeller is fouled."

: : : : : 61.brushing off warnings. Ignoring a warning.

Yes. Think of brushing lint off of your suit. "She gave me the brush off," means she quickly, and not too politely rejected his advances.

: : : : : 62.to stamp out the terrorist threat. End the threat, eradicate it.

Yes. Think of putting a fire out by repeatedly stepping forcefully on it, or doing the same to ants on the floor.

: : : : : 95.hopping up and down with rage. Jumping up and down.

Well, usually the person is not actually jumping, but is extremely angry. It is also seen as, "He was hopping mad."

: : : : : 107.fired off a string of allegations. Rapidly accused someone of several wrongs.

Yes. Think of a machinegun firing."

: : : : : 109.waded into the raw. Don't know.

Nor do I.

: : : : : 110.took a sides wipe at her critics. Side swipe. (Not "sides wipe.") A cat-like clawing motion.

Yes. However, I haven't heard it in that context (critics). "She took a swipe at her critics," means she made an un-planned, perhaps somewhat awkward verbal attack.

After doing so, she got into her car, and side swiped a parked car, because she was so angry." This means that she damaged the side of her car, and also the side of the
parked car.

: : : : : 111.salted away more than $5 billion. Saved, put away the money.

Yes. Think of preserving meat in a barrel of salt.

: : : : 116.dorsal fin. M-W online. Dorsal - relating to or situated near or on the back especially of an animal or of one of its parts.

Yes. It is the vertical fin in the middle of the creature's (or a lawyer's) back.

: : : : 119. fire up my Internet. Start it.

Yes. Think of starting the fire in a steam engine.

: : : : 124.full-fledged state visit. All out. Nothing held back.

Yes. Think of a young bird which now has all of the feathers it needsto fly.

: : : : 131. cozied up to exile. Cozied up = was friendly with.

Yes. Think of someone walking up to someone he doesn't know well, or at all at a party, and being especially cordial, but having an ulterior motive.

: : : : 132. a litmus test for authenticity. M-W online. Litmus te

: : : : 138.will go into high gear. Start operating at peak activity.

Yes. High gear is the one which makes a car go as fast as it can, usually fourth gear.

: : : : 139. to pull off something. Be successful, accomplish something. Make it happen.

Yes. Often when you were not expected to succeed. "I can't believe we pulled that off."

: : : : 145.spearheaded by. Lead by.

Yes. The "spearhead" is the end with the point.

: : : : 146.set the wheel in motion. Make things start to happen.

Yes. In North America it's "set the wheels in motion."