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Evidence suggesting or evidence to suggest
I am studying for the sentence correction part of the GMAT exam and one of the questions had me confused for a while because the answer explanation did not hit the nail on the head. I think I might post it here and really appreciate it if any native speakers could elaborate further. The question goes as follows and words in the buckets are for correction. The answer is C.
Australian embryologists have found evidence [that suggests that the elephant is descended from an aquatic animal, and its trunk originally evolving as a kind of snorkel].
(A) that has suggested the elephant descended from an aquatic animal, its trunk originally evolving
(B) suggesting that the elephant had descended from an aquatic animal with its trunk originally evolved
(C) to suggest that the elephant is descended from an aquatic animal and that its trunk originally evolved
My question: is [evidence to suggest that] a correct grammatical construction? Should it be suggesting rather than to suggesting?
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Barnum and Bailey?
I know Barnum and Bailey is a well-known American circus company billed as the The Greatest Show on Earth. But what does it mean when you say someone is Barnum and Bailey?
I was watching a law tv show the other night and one of the characters was complaining about a supreme court lawyer who'd been trying to take away his case & client to argue against DOMA in front of supreme court justices. The supreme court lawyer is a persuasive salesman but the character chided the lawyer for being Barnum and Bailey.
That's where I got confused. Could anyone help me out here?
Thank you and happy new year!
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"You bet" and "I bet"?
I hear people say "I bet" and "You bet" all the time but still get confused sometimes.
What's the difference between the two? When do I use "I bet"? When to use "You bet"?
Thanks for your help in advance!!!
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What does "fly their colors" and "bleacher bums" mean?
I was reading a book "Liar's Poker" and came across two phrases in a paragraph that I didn't quite understand (I'll provide the context):
At that odd moment in St. James Palace, representatives of two proud institutions had flown their finest colors side by side: The unflappable Queen Mother gracefully dealt with an embarrassing situation by ignoring it; the Salomon Brothers managing director's wife, drawing on hidden reserves of nerve and instinct, restored the balance of power in the room by hollering. I had always had a soft spot for the royals, especially the Queen Mother. But from that moment I found Salomon Brothers, the bleachers bums of St. James, equal irresistible.
So my questions are:
1). What does "fly their finest colors" mean and what does "colors" refer to here?
2). What does "bleacher bum" mean? Is the author employing some sort of metaphor here by comparing the Salomon Brother's wife to Chicago Cubs fans?
Thank you and I really appreciate you help!
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What does "play chicken" mean?
This an expression I heard when a man(M) and woman(W) are flirting in a CBS show. I'll also provide the context.
W: You're so funny. You are so spontaneous.
M: Like a youth in May.
W: So what's the surprise? You called saying you had surprise?
M: The surprise is I desire you too.
W: Oh, now you're just trying to throw me off my game.
M: I am but I still desire you.
W: Really? Then let's go do something about it.
M: My apartment is about 15 minutes away.
W: Mine's ten. You are playing chicken.
M: I am and I'm good at it.
W: Mm...You don't see me swerving off the road.
M: Then don't.
W: We are gonna crash.
M: unless you swerve off.
I'm wondering what does the woman mean when she said "You are playing chicken"? How to use this phrase?
Thank you!
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Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother--Part I
So I've just finished a bestseller of New York Times that generated a lot of buzz when it first came out : Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua, a Yale Law School professor in New Heaven, CT. This book, a memoir of how she raised up two stereotypically successful kids, is supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better than their Western counterparts at child rearing but turns out a clash of different cultures and societal values. I have to admit I do not agree with her on everything she said about Chinese parenting in the book even though I am Chinese.
The book itself is interesting, thought-provoking and funny though. I couldn't help bursting into laughters on many dramas happened in her house but more often it made me put down the book and ponder the cultural dilemmas I am facing. (Ok...maybe I didn't really put it down as the book definitely made it to my too-good-to-put-down list...lol) I am planing to write down a few thoughts on this book but I'll divide and post them in several parts in the next few weeks.
BTW I'd be more than happy to see any thoughts you'd like to share regarding the book, Chinese parenting vs American parenting or my writing. Thank you!
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What does the trendy word swag mean?
So I spotted this word from a guy's T-shirt some time ago. I heard that it's a trendy word among young people but not sure if I understand its meaning and how to use it. If you could do a bit of explanation in Chinese, that would be cool but def not required.
Thanks
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