be hardly out of the shell—be too young and inexperienced: You are hardly out of the shell and already you have the temerity to question the authority of the Talmud! come out of one’s shell—(also: crawl out of one’s shell) become more sociable and outgoing: Under the soothing influence of coffee and tobacco, he came […]
Confirm vs Corroborate vs Substantiate vs Verify vs Authenticate vs Validate
Confirm, corroborate, substantiate, verify, authenticate, validate mean to attest to the truth, genuineness, accuracy, or validity of something.
Difference between Contentious and Controversial
Contentious means argumentative or quarrelsome. The measure was defeated after a contentious House debate. Controversial refers to subjects being arguable or debatable. They extended the deadline on the controversial change.
Difference between Be hanged and Be hung
be hanged—be put to death by hanging: Bentley’s appeal against his conviction was dismissed and he was hanged in Wandsworth prison. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase be left hanging— 1. (of people) be kept waiting for a decision or answer: I was left hanging for three weeks before I […]
Confident vs Assured vs Sanguine vs Sure vs Presumptuous
Confident, assured, sanguine, sure, presumptuous are comparable as applied to a person or to his temperament, looks, manner, acts, or utterances with the meaning not inhibited by doubts, fears, or a sense of inferiority.
Difference between Be had and Be had up
be had—(coll.) be tricked or deceived: I apologize for being so forceful, but I’ve been had before; I don’t want others to share the experience if I can help. be had up —(coll.) cause a person to appear in court: I doubt if anybody thought about Chapman as a possible killer much before he was […]
Content vs Context
Content refers to what’s inside and context refers to a setting. My quote in the paper was taken out of context (not content).
Confidence vs Self-Confidence vs Assurance vs Self-Assurance vs Self-Possession vs Aplomb
Confidence, self-confidence, assurance, self-assurance, self-possession, aplomb are comparable when denoting either a state of mind free from diffidence, misgivings, or embarrassment or the easy, cool, or collected bearing or behavior resulting from this attitude.
Difference between Be green-eyed and See green in someone’s eye
be green-eyed—be jealous or envious: Collectors were greeneyed … they consoled themselves by saying the collection had cost too much. see green in someone’s eye—think a person to be credulous and inexperienced: Do you see any green in my eye? Do you take me for a fool?
Difference between Contemptible and Contemptuous
Contemptible means worthy of contempt or deserving scorn. The board thinks Keith’s treatment of the intern is contemptible. Contemptuous means expressing a feeling of contempt. They risk disciplinary action for making contemptuous remarks.
Difference between Contagious and Infectious
Contagious refers to diseases spread through physical contact. If you deal with contagious diseases, disinfect your hands well. Infectious refers to diseases spread through air, water, etc. We are exposed to chemicals and infectious diseases. Note: In figurative use, these words can be synonymous. Her optimistic and humorous mood is infectious (or contagious).
Confer vs Commune vs Consult vs Advise vs Parley vs Treat vs Negotiate
Confer, commune, consult, advise, parley, treat, negotiate are synonyms when they are used intransitively and bear the meaning to carry on a conversation or discussion especially in order to reach a decision or settlement.