Ifs and buts
Reader question: In this sentence – "I don't want any ifs and buts, just do as she says" – what do "if" and "but" mean?
My comments:
"If" and "but" here go hand in hand. If you want someone to give you "no ifs and buts", you want them to go ahead and do what you ask them to do without argument.
"If" implies condition, under which something might happen or will happen. For example, "I'll love you back if you love me first". This might happen – keep your fingers crossed.
Or "if you can make enough money for the two of us, I promise I'll stay at home not do any work." This, and worse (maybe not even any housework), probably will happen.
Or "if I had that car and that house, I would be happy." This is wishful thinking. It happens all the time and the wishful thinker is never happy, for if he has that house he'll then say: "I would be happy if I had a bigger car and a bigger house."
In "ifs and buts", "but" suggests resistance. It is an explanation, or rather a reason or as a matter of fact an excuse for not doing something. For example, "I wanted to put the cabbage and mutton into the pot at the same time, but the television says you shouldn't."
But the television doesn't always know. Again, something should be done but is not done.
You get the drift. Ifs and buts prevent people from getting things done. Eliminate them from your life. Let things happen. If you give up "ifs and buts", you might have some good fun. I'm sure you will, but I can't say that – when it comes to YOUR life, I can never be sure. So let's stick with "might".
Here are a few media examples:
1. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, the Rangers would be having a wonderful Christmas.
- The Blue it Again (nypost.com, December 24, 2006)
2. With Utd having leapfrogged us briefly, it meant that when we kicked off against the Blues half an hour later, there were no ifs and buts, we simply had to win, if we weren't going to gift our rivals a massive psychological advantage.
- We're the dominant partner now, Chelsea (Irish Examiner.com)
3. No ifs and buts about this paste
A hand-mixed nappy-rash cream has become a big hit in America. Melissa Whitworth finds out why
Pharmacist Dr George Boudreaux never dreamed that a potion he concocted to soothe newborn babies' bottoms would make him a millionaire.
Nor did he realize that fans of this potion would include Oprah Winfrey, cyclist Lance Armstrong and basketball star Shaquille O'Neal.
One thing he was sure of, though, was its name: Butt Paste. Boudreaux's Butt Paste, to be exact.
- (telegraph.co.uk, January 11, 2004)
4. "This stuff doesn't need to be public. If elected, I'll pull the plug on the Web site, no ifs and buts about it," Antosek said.
- Antosek challenges Earnhardt, Internet records (Salisbury Post, March 16, 2007).
托福写作词汇活用 向高分突进
历年托福考试高频词汇-realize
历年托福考试高频词汇-realism
归纳总结:托福写作10种不加分都不行的句式
四步搞定2013托福作文结尾
托福备考误区:学习托福就是背单词
托福考试写作模板2
托福写作备考结构性模版
高分必备:托福写作中的得分点
托福考试写作模板8
托福写作高分备考之“时间轴式”复习计划
托福作文点评:高一生的托福作文
历年托福考试高频词汇-readmit
托福考试写作模板5
托福考试词汇使用小技巧
托福考试写作模板1
托福考试写作模板4
托福写作两任务中的三大得分点
托福写作满分心得:挖掘句子多样性
托福单词拆分有效帮助记忆
托福考试写作模板3
托福写作中常见的失分点总结
托福考试——词汇学习建议
托福作文如何在30分钟内写完得高分?
历年托福考试高频词汇-pension
托福独立写作中易犯的十个错误
历年托福考试高频词汇-readily
托福考试写作模板汇总
托福听力核心词汇:校园词汇
托福考试写作模板7
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |