Reader question:
In "take a look at the latest rumors doing the rounds in the city", what does "doing the rounds" mean?
My comments:
Rumors doing the rounds in the city means... Oh, hold on a sec. Let me beat about the bush a bit this time before giving the answer.
"Round", the root word, describes something that is circle-shaped. Football is round, as they say, a cliché pointing to the fickle nature of the game – in other words, you can't predict the result of a game no matter how much stronger one team appears than the other on paper.
The Earth goes round (and round) the Sun, meaning the planet runs circles around the star.
In a single-elimination (meaning losing one game and you are out) sports tournament, players each play one match per round – winners advance to the next round while losers go home.
A round-table meeting is one in which people sit and talk from seats placed round a table.
Is there enough food to go round? That is a question asking whether there's enough for all with no one left out.
When it's your turn to buy everyone a drink at the bar, you say "it's my round."
A traditional family doctor out on his rounds (plural) is one who goes out to make a regular visit to each and every one of his patients.
If a rumor is said to be "doing the rounds in the city" – we're finally getting round to it – it's circulating in town. The message is passed on from one mouth to another and everybody hears it.
Wow, this is easy, isn't it? No need for definitions. Good and by the way, "doing the rounds" is sometimes varied into "making the rounds" or "going the rounds".
Here are media examples:
1. doing the rounds:
So now we know what John McCain really thinks of his running mate Sarah Palin – and that's not just because of the awkward body language between them during his concession speech in Phoenix, Arizona.
An exasperated McCain has been telling friends in recent weeks that Palin is even more trouble than a pitbull.
In one joke doing the rounds, the Republican presidential candidate has been asking friends: what is the difference between Sarah Palin and a pitbull? The friendly canine eventually lets go, is the McCain punchline.
McCain's joke is a skit on Palin's most famous line after she was picked as his surprise running mate. Palin delighted the Republican base when she said the only difference between a pitbull and a hockey mom was lipstick.
2. making the rounds:
Virginia elections officials said fliers are making the rounds in several Hampton Roads localities attempting to confuse voters.
The fliers advise Republicans to vote on Nov. 4, and Democrats on Nov. 5.
Election Day for everyone, of course, is Nov. 4.
The bogus advisory features the logo of the State Board of Elections and states the two voting dates are intended to ease the load on local balloting officials.
State police are looking into the source of the fliers.
3. going the rounds:
Computers may not yet be able to make jokes, but jokes are being made about them. The latestgoing the rounds in board rooms and barrooms concerns the unknown fellow who was suddenly made president of one of the nation's largest firms. Reporters wanted to know the secret of his meteoric rise. Had he won controlling stock interest in the company? No; didn't own a share. Did he have pals on the board of directors? Not even an acquaintance. Had he pioneered a new industrial process? Couldn't even fix a lawnmower. At last, one reporter asked point-blank how he got the job then. "Oh, that's simple," answered the new president. "A guy in golf spikes stepped on my IBM card."
威廉王子未婚妻凯特订婚长裙惨遭山寨
双语:《绝望主妇》第七季被爆有新主妇加入
走马观花看美国:芝加哥繁华下的另一面
机器人沉睡45年后重见天日
NASA首次发现土星卫星中含有氧气
双语:英国“最大狗”新鲜出炉
双语:妈咪摇滚DJ席卷纽约
刘欢、莎拉•布莱曼将演唱奥运主题歌
研究发现:人类大脑无法判断对方性别
做好奥运东道主——怎么招待外国人
牛津字典收录微博词汇 网络用语受宠
网通电信宣布:台湾地震受损电缆恢复运作
郎平率美国女排出征北京奥运
澳大利亚青年欲破世界最长说唱纪录
20世纪最无聊一天:1954年4月11日
阿凡达发光树或成真 未来可代替路灯
北京奥运 贵宾云集
巴西男足教练:“奥运会夺金比世界杯夺冠难”
今年圣诞不寂寞 “扁平爸爸”相作伴
双语:新加坡国旗印上短裤惹争议
双语:牙膏会让胎儿大脑受损?
双语美文:人生中的“蝴蝶效应”
英皇后人选引热议 卡梅伦力挺卡米拉
美国人喜好调查:最爱披头士最恨慢车
加媒抱怨“亚洲学生太多” 亚裔表示强烈不满
北京奥运主题歌《我和你》传递温暖
台湾学生数学成绩全球排名第一
罗格北京奥运会开幕式致辞全文
台湾女性不惧当“剩女”
北京奥运闭幕式:贝克汉姆“领衔”伦敦8分钟
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |