2021-05-30 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด – B – big & large

Revision B

2021-05-30

ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด – B – big & large

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Dictionary.com

ออกเสียง big = BIG’

ออกเสียง large = ‘LAHRJ’

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

The Big and the Small of It

11 words and phrases from 'big league' to 'small and early'

Big league

definition

- something or some group that is outstandingof its kind

(as in stature, quality, or worth)

Big league has a fairly literal meaning

(“major league” or “any comparable sports association”)

which has been in use since the 1870s.

The figurativeuse defined above is often found

used in an attributive sense,

in which it modifies another noun (“a big league politician”).

Big league is sometimes phonetically confused with bigly,

an adverb that means “in a big manner.”

It has been let out, that the Evansville club was not organized for the purpose of going on a round of victorious games,

but only to play againstthe big league clubs,

to let our citizens have a sight at the wayprofessional muscle can handle the ball and bat.
— Evansville Courier and Press (Evansville, IN), 17 Jun. 1877

Small fry

definition

- minor, unimportant

What are fry, and are they ever large?

The answer to the second question is “probably not,”

as fry are “recently hatched or juvenile fishes.”

These fishhave been referred to as small fry since the 16th century,

and the extended use which is more common today dates back to the middle of the 17th.

”Make a pinch,” I cut in. “Not me—you’re small fry, McCleary.

I want the name of the big gun behind you, and I’m playing you off against him.”
— The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, OH), 9 Feb. 1930

Big lie

definition

- a deliberate gross distortion of the truth

used especially asa propaganda tactic

There are many words for something thatis not true

—lie, falsity, whopper, and many more

—but few, if any, of these words

carry the additionmeaning of “propaganda tactic.”

If you are looking fora way instead to describe

“a trivial or childish lie” the word you wantis fib.

Once more, in the case of Lord Halifax,

the Reichsfuehrer seems to have demonstrated that he knew human nature when he wrote in his autobiography that the “big lie” wasthe most serviceable

because people generally could not imagine aresponsible statesman using it.
— The Kansas City Times (Kansas City, MO), 19 Mar. 1938

Small talk

definition

- light or casual conversation

The social lubricant known as small talk

has no dearth of synonyms; a partial list of these

includes backchat, cackle, causerie, chat, chatter,

chin music, chin-wag, chitchat,

confab, confabulation, gab, gabfest,

gossip, jangle, jaw, natter, palaver, patter, rap,

schmooze, table talk, and tête-à-tête.

If one wishes to include words

and phrases not included in our dictionary,

the list may grow to include

talking with uncomfortable small pauses,

avoiding topics of substance, and

please don't ask me about that thing.

Wherupon shortly after hee was brought to the Chauncellour of Norwiche (whose name was Dunning:) who after a few wordes & small talk passed with this examinate, committed him to Warde.
— John Foxe, Actes and monuments, 1583

Big cheese

definition

- a person of consequence

The speakersof the English language are very fond of

applying the descriptor big

to other words in order to refer to an important person

(big boss, big dog, big hitter, etc.),

and perhaps the most whimsical of such combinations is the big cheese.

This word came into use in the early 20th century,

although prior to that big and cheese wereused in conjunction

to describe a cheese of unusual size.

The Berkshire American states that Mr. Israel Cole, of North Adams,

has made a “hundred-pound cheese to bepresented to Jackson,

in case he is elected President.”

Mr. C. may consider his cheese as good as sold,

of rather given away already.

But we suppose if Mr. Jackson should not be elected,

—he’ll stand no chance for the big cheese?

What sort of charity is this?

If fortun smiles upon a man, give him a cheese

—but if she frowns—starve him to death.
— Poulson’s Daily Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA), 14 Nov. 1828

He knows he possesses the goods

and nothing will deter him from jumping into a regular uniform,

getting his name in the box scores every other afternoon,

and showing the folks at Oklahoma that he isthe “big cheese.”
— Miami Herald (Miami, FL), 15 Aug. 1912

Small beer

Definition

- something of small importance

While big is often used in conjunction with some noun

to indicate animportant person,

small pairs itself with a noun to refer to a thing of little importance.

We have small potatoes, small change, and small beer.

In addition to“something unimportant,”

small beer mayrefer to actual beer, if it is of the weak or inferiorvariety.

Ile be your daily Orator to pray that, that pure sanguine complexion of yours may neuer be famisht with pot-lucke,

that you may tast till your last gaspe, and liue

to see the confusion of both your speciall enemies,

Small Beere and Grammer Rules.
— Thomas Nash, The apologie of Pierce Pennilesse, 1592

Big Brother

definition

- an all-powerful government or organization

monitoringand directing people's actions

Big Brother initiallyreferred simply to an older brother,

and later took on the figurativesense

of “a man who servesas a companion, father figure,

and role model for a boy.”

Since 1949and the publication of George Orwell’s book 1984,

in whichthe personification of the power of the government

is referredtoas Big Brother,

the words have increasingly come to take on a political use.

When referring to thissort of intrusive

and prying state agency bothwords are often capitalized.

Americansmay think somewhat wistfully of the range and power of Soviet space vehicles;

perhaps Soviet scientists (when Big Brother isn’tlistenin) muse about the delicacy and adaptability of American experiments.
— New York Herald Tribune, 30 Jun. 1961

Small screen

definition

- television

While television screens may seem

to be in a perpetual process ofgrowing each year,

they (for the moment, at least) are not yetas large as those of the movies.

Thus, we have idiomatic terms for each of these media:

small screen and big screen.

In early use small screen was simply a descriptor

of the size of the portion of the television that one looked at;

in the 1940s and 1950s it came to function

as a synonym for bothtelevision sets and the industry of television.

The small screen of television distresses people at first; and, even after a year, the British public has registered its opinion that a larger size would be agreeable.
— Photoplay (Chicago, IL), Oct. 1938

It takes only a brief acquaintance with television comedy

to discover the small screen’s particular congeniality to the “low-pressure” comedian.
— Rod Nordell, The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA), 5 Mar. 1953

Big house

Definition

- penitentiary

In additionto big house,

the clink, hoosegow, joint, the nick, and the pokey

are all fine slang terms for jail,

should you ever have need of a half-dozen or so such synonyms.

Big house also has a now obsolete meaning of “workhouse”

(“a house of correction for persons guilty of minor law violations”).

This Jim was set free in Danville, some nine years since, and had served in the big house at Frankfort, the Penitentiary, two years, and for 3 years past had been in this city.
— Daily Courier (Louisville, KY), 19 Feb. 1858

Small and early

definition

- an evening party (such as an informal reception or dance)

attended by comparatively few guests and breaking up early

An event called a small and early

seems like it should take place duringthe small hours,

but these two things occur at quite different times.

The small and early

(aka ‘a dinner party given by those who have lots of things to do tomorrow, thank you very much’) takes place in the early evening,

whereas the small hours are“the early morning hours.”

If your small and early is still going in the small hours,

it is no longera small and early.

The great and exclusive Mrs. Rockegge (wife of the member for Greenshire), who has forbidden her lord to enter the House of Peers

under anything less than an earl’s coronet,

for invitations to whose “small and earlies” duchesses have been known to intrigue

—this great and exclusive lady, I say, accompanied by her daughters,

is driven up to the pen with the blue flag next to the Royal standard,

who the instincts of her coachman selects as her place.

But, alas! her cards are green.
— Temple Bar: a London magazine for town and country readers (London, Eng.), Dec. 1876

Biggety

definition

- conceited, vain

Biggety (also spelled biggity) is used mainly

in the South and east central United States,

and is formed by adding the -ety suffix

(as in: persnickety to big.)

The word has the additional meaning of “rudely self-important, impudent.

Bill Kid came down to the new ground that Brother Pleas was clearing,

and beginned some of his biggity talk,

and how he was the best man in the settlement, and so on.
— Yorkville Enquirer (York, SC), 15 Mar. 1915

Collins COBUILD English Usage

Big – large - great

Big, large, and great are used to talk about size.

They can all be used in front of countable nouns,

but only great can be used in front of uncountable nouns.

1. describing objects

Big, large, and great can all be used to describe objects.

Big is the word you usually use in conversation.

Large is more formal.

Great is used in stories to show that something is very impressive

because of its size.

'Where is Mark?' – 'Over there, by that big tree.'

The driver swerved to avoid a large tree.

A great tree had fallen across the river.

2. describing amounts

When you are describing amounts, you usually use large.

She made a very large amount of money.

They export large quantities of corn.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'big' to describe amounts.

Don't say, for example, 'She made a very big amount of money'.

3. describing feelings

When you are describing feelings or reactions,

you usually use great.

He has great hopes for the future.

It was a great relief when we finally got home.

When surprise is a countable noun,

you can use either big or great in front of it.

The announcement was a big surprise.

It will be no great surprise if Ryan wins.

Don't use 'large' to describe feelings or reactions.

4. describing problems

When you are describing a problem or danger,

you use big or great.

The biggest problem at the moment is unemployment.

Many species are in great danger.

Don't use 'large' to describe a problem or danger.

5. showing importance

Great is used to say that a person or place is important or famous.

He was one of the greatest engineers of this century.

We visited the great cities of Europe.

6. used with other adjectives

In conversation,

you can use great and big together in order

to emphasize the size of something.

You always put great first.

There was a great big hole in the road.

Be Careful!
You can say that someone is in great pain,

but you don't usually use 'big', 'large', or 'great' to describe an illness.

Instead you use adjectives such as bad, terrible, or severe.

He's off work with a bad cold.

I started getting terrible headaches.

Collins COBUILD English Usage

Small – large

The following adjectives are used to indicate

how small or large something is.

They are arranged from 'smallest' to 'largest'.

• microscopic, infinitesimal

...microscopic fibres of protein.

...mineral substances present in infinitesimal amounts in the soil.

• tiny, minute, miniature, diminutive, minuscule

Though she was tiny, she had a very loud voice.

Only a minute amount is needed.

He looked like a miniature version

of his handsome and elegant big brother.

She noticed a diminutive figure standing at the entrance.

Rolls Royce are still British-owned their sales are miniscule.

• small, little

The window was far too small for him to get through.

We sat around a little table, eating and drinking wine.

• medium-sized, average-sized

...a medium-sized saucepan.

Most average-sized women just aren't born to be ultra tiny.

• large, big, great

He was a large man with thick dark hair.

The car was too big to fit into our garage.

...a great hall as long and high as a church.

• huge, enormous, massive

...a tiny little woman with huge black glasses.

The main bedroom is enormous.

There was evidence of massive fraud.

• vast, immense, gigantic, colossa

...farmers who own vast stretches of land.

...an immense cloud of smoke.

Britain faces a gigantic problem over the disease.

There has been a colossal waste of public money.

Dictionary of Problem Words in English

big & large

Each of these words refers to quantity and size

and in most speaking and writing situations

can be used interchangeably(a big building, a large building)

Large,however, carries a meaning

of immensity orimportance not conveyed by big

(a man of large vision rather than a man of big vision.)

Big carries additionalmeaning

of generosity orkindness

as in: the phrases “a big heart” and “a big man in every way.”

Although distinction in meaning have broken down somewhat

and although big is more often used thanlarge,

your language sense will tell you to use big

when you mean either size or importance

and large when there is an added suggestion of scope and range:

“a big liar,” not “a large liar,” and

“a man of large outlook” rather than “a man of big outlook.”

But remember that bigis an overworked term

and that it appears in numerous trite, slangy expressions

that should be avoided in all butinformal conversation:

“big on” (“enthusiastic about”)

“talk big” (to speak boastfully”);

“go over big” (to be successful”);

“big cheese,”

“big shot” (“important person”);

“big eye” (“invitation,” “summon”);

“big idea” (“unsolicited or objectionable proposal or plan”);

“big mouth” (“loud person”);

“big talk” (“exaggeration”);

“big time” (“enjoyable time,” “high level”);

“big wheel,” “big wig” (“influential person");

“big head” (“conceit.” “egotism”);

“big house“ (“penitentiary”).

It’s possible that you use big in even more expressions than those listed here.

Be big and avoid them all.