in another world— 1. out of touch with reality; unaware of the latest news, etc.: I had for some time been living, as it were, in another world. I now came down to earth with a bang. 2. is used of a state of existence after death: A night’s reflection has convinced me that there […]
Category: Confusing Phrases
Difference between “in and out” and “ins and outs”
in and out— 1. said of smb. coming and going from a place all the time: Sam was in and out of the office most of the day today. 2. (of work, etc.) not continuous; done at irregular intervals: His engagements are only for particular plays—“in and out” work. ins and outs— 1. the details […]
Difference between In an instant and On the instant
in an instant—in a moment: Our ship was in an instant full of these swarthy gentlemen quite naked. on the instant—at once; immediately: When you shut the doors of this grotto, it becomes on the instant, from a luminous room, a camera obscura.
Difference between In an excess of something and In excess of something
in an excess of something— 1. when smth. is present beyond the limits of what is normal: This can be made by burning sulphur in an excess of air. 2. through too much emotion: My own copy has long been gone, pocketed by an acquaintance whom I pressed it on in an excess of generosity. […]
Difference between In action and Out of action
in action— 1. engaged in an activity, especially as a particular or good example: It is not hard to understand why the team is so talented when you see the team in action. 2. in military combat: Charles Havlat is thought to be the very last American soldier killed in action in the European operations […]
Difference between In act to do something and In the act of doing something
in act to do something—on the point of doing smth.: Nero persuaded himself that his mother was watching him like a tiger-cat in act to spring. in the act of doing something—in the process of doing smth.: The thief was caught in the act of breaking into the house.
Difference between In a world apart and Worlds apart
in a world apart—out of touch with reality; unaware of the latest news, etc.: The returned exiles lived in a world apart. They hatched plans and business schemes and visionary ideas for transforming society. worlds apart—(of two or more people or things) completely different: It can seem that men and women are “worlds apart” when […]
Difference between In a temper and Out of temper
in a temper—in an irritable or angry mood: I got up in a temper, and told him to leave me. Note: The expression is not antonymous in meaning to the phrase in no temper—not in the mood for smth.: Garibaldi, marching obstinately to defeat, was in no temper to listen to anybody, to Mazzini least of […]
Difference between In a state and In state
in a state—(followed by Infinitive) fit for smth.; mentally ready to do smth.: He went on thinking of her till he was almost in a state to drown himself in the little brook. in state— 1. with great pomp and ceremony: If he represented a first-class paper and wished to “save his face” he had […]
Difference between In a spot and In spots
in a spot—(coll.) in a difficult situation; in trouble: We really are in a spot, because to refuse her would cause months, if not years, of pouting and hard feelings. in spots—(U.S. sl.) occasionally; at intervals: A boatman being asked how he managed to secure sleeping time, answered, “I sleep in spots”; that is, at […]
Difference between In a single piece and In one piece
in a single piece—consisting of or fashioned in a single unit: When the glove is being fabricated, the external layer is moulded in a single piece. in one piece— 1. = in a single piece: People from San Salvador began to come to our ships in boats fashioned in one piece from the trunks of […]
Difference between In a sense and In the sense
in a sense— 1. in a way; to some extent: Mass and energy are equivalent, and mass is to be regarded in a sense as a concentrated source of energy. 2. in some respect: Everything in that conversation would be true, in a sense, although palpably not true in another. 3. in the meaning: Antiphrasis—a […]