be a law unto oneself—do what one believes is right and ignore established laws or custom: If the government becomes a law breaker it invites every man to become a law unto himself. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase lay down the law—assert smth. positively; state or declare smth. firmly: […]
Clean vs Cleanse
Clean, cleanse mean to remove whatever soils, stains, or contaminates from someone or something.
Difference between Centenarian and Centurion
A centenarian is a person who lives to be 100, and a centurion is a Roman army commander.
Difference between Be a know-all and Know it all
be a know-all—said of smb. who thinks he knows everything and annoys people by showing how clever he is: I don’t see the point in arguing with someone who plays such a knowall. know it all— 1. be extremely knowledgeable; be fully informed: Did he choose the Pharisees and the Sadducees—the scribes and men who […]
Clean vs Cleanly
Clean, cleanly are often confused.
Difference between Censer, Censor, Censure and Sensor
Censer is a container used for burning incense. The church acquired a new gold-plated censer. Censor, as a verb, means to suppress objectionable material. Do they have a legal right to censor material on the Internet? Censor, as a noun, is the person examining certain material. Are the TV censors approving the subject matter for […]
Difference between Be a good life and Live a good life
be a good life—be likely to live long enough: I want to find out if he is a good life to insure. Does he live temperately? live a good life—lead a morally commendable life: I would like to be remembered as someone who lived a good life.
Difference between Be a good hand and Have good hands
be a good hand— 1. be a diligent, industrious worker: He is a good hand and enjoys his work which he does faithfully and well. 2. possess the necessary skill to do smth. well: He is a good hand at making bows and arrows, and a fine knife would be just the thing for him. […]
Difference between Cement and Concrete
Cement is a powdery binding material that consists of clay and limestone. Concrete is a mixture of sand, gravel, and other materials all held together by cement. The workers are installing a concrete (not cement) sidewalk.
Class vs Grade vs Rank vs Rate vs Graduate vs Gradate
Class, grade, rank, rate, graduate, gradate are synonyms in that they all involve the idea of ordering a number of things according to a scale or of placing a thing in its due order.
Class vs Category vs Genus vs Species vs Denomination vs Genre
Class, category, genus, species, denomination, genre are compared here only in their general, nonspecialized use, and the following comments may be inapplicable to such technical fields as philosophy and the sciences.
Cellar vs Basement
A cellar is an underground shelter or space. A basement is the substructure or foundation of a building.