common sense—natural intelligence possessed by all people: Most people think they have enough common sense to deal with anything that might come their way. commonsense —(attrib.) said of smth. demonstrating common sense: My commonsense idea is to have a safety net that protects the neediest in our society.
Category: Confusing Phrases
Difference between Common property and Community property
common property—property owned by a group of tenants in a condominium; property which everyone has the right to use: The bicycles were common property and anyone in the apartment complex could use them. community property—property belonging jointly to a married couple: The couple decided to divide some of their community property and give it to […]
Difference between Common man and Common woman
common man— 1. an ordinary man, not distinguished by rank or position: Mr. Brooks is a common man. He is not a hero, he is not always fighting against dangerous criminals…. 2. said of ordinary people (both men and women) in general: The common man is portrayed as the helpless victim of opportunistic politicians. common […]
Difference between Common knowledge and General knowledge
common knowledge—said of smth. generally known to most people: It is common knowledge to most trout-fishers that the May Fly has decreased over many parts of the country. general knowledge—basic understanding of a subject or a variety of subjects: Many of them do not have familiarity with poetry, not to mention the general knowledge and […]
Difference between Comment on a match and Commentate on a match
comment on a match—make comments or give an opinion on a sports contest: I can’t justifiably comment on a match I did not watch. commentate on a match—act as a sports commentator running live commentary: I don’t associate women with football, so hearing one commentate on a match is odd.
Difference between Comings and goings and Entrances and exits
comings and goings —(also: coming and going ) 1. arrivals and departures: Fanny lived her own life, never commenting on her husband’s whirlwind comings and goings. 2. busy activities: Along with all the comings and goings of the holidays we had plenty of time to just hang out and enjoy each other’s company. entrances and […]
Difference between Comic actor and Comical actor
comic actor—an actor who plays in comedies; a singer of comic songs: He has no idea who will replace Ritter but said it should be “a comic actor who is as beloved as John was.” comical actor—mirth-provoking, funny actor: I did really like all of the actors in the film, especially Ben Stiller, who appears […]
Difference between Come up to something and Go up to something
come up to something— 1. reach as high as smth.: So, if you’re driving through water and it comes up to your grille, it’s getting to the stage where you may stall. 2. equal smth. in standard: The meals cooked in most restaurants do not come up to those prepared at home. 3. (Progressive Tense) […]
Difference between Come up roses and Come up smelling of roses
come up roses —(also: come up daisies) turn out extremely well, especially when things seemed to be going badly at first: Everything has come up roses with the film and all the naysayers have been pretty much silenced. come up smelling of roses—(UK, also: come out smelling of roses) emerge from an unfavorable situation with […]
Difference between Come up for air adn Go up in the air
come up for air—(U.S. sl.) take a break; have a rest: George decides to revisit the place in order to “come up for air” and remember what the good life used to be. go up in the air—(coll.) become angry; lose one’s temper: He is so irritable these days that he goes up in the […]
Difference between Come up daisies and Push up daisies
come up daisies —(also: come up roses) turn out extremely well, especially when things seemed to be going badly at first: Once you’ve implemented an active job search, everything will come up daisies. push up daisies —(sl.) be dead and buried: We could argue about the details of science and politics till we pushed up […]
Difference between Come up against someone and Run up against someone
come up against someone—(also: go up against someone) challenge a competitor in a contest, election, etc: Although he rode very well, he came up against an opponent who tactically rode even better. run up against someone— 1. meet a person, especially by accident: You can’t go anywhere in London without running up against him. 2. […]