Person, Place, Thing

Jason S. (China)
147 words 19 learners

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words only definitions & notes
  1. attributive
    of adjectives; placed before the nouns they modify
    The shorthand accomplished by the construction [(noun) + person] can usually be expanded semantically in the most general way to [person who likes or enjoys (noun)], as the most common person companions show:

    morning person television person
    night person gun person
    cat person computer person
    dog person people person

    A subclass of this construction, in which the attributive spot is filled by the name of a food or dish, characterizes a person who enjoys or does not enjoy eating th...
  2. guy
    an informal term for a youth or man
    Consider the most common noun + thing pairs: how would you define them?

    guy thing team thing
    age thing girl thing
    family thing boy thing
    confidence thing nostalgia thing
    ego thing love thing

    Without context you have to shoot in the dark to some degree.
  3. lexical
    of or relating to words
    We'll return to that a bit later, but the interesting subject that this lexical artifact illuminates for us is the way that speakers modify these three generic and extremely common nouns — person, place, thing — by dropping another noun in front of them and thereby telegraphing a boatload of meaning in a small space — though not always unambiguously.
  4. native speaker
    a speaker of a particular language who has spoken that language since earliest childhood
    # She's

    When less frequently-occurring nouns appear before thing, the intended meaning can often border on obscurity; without some context, native speakers would rightly concluded that the meaning is not clear; even with context, nonnative speakers probably scratch their heads.
  5. gerund
    a noun formed from a verb
    Attributive nouns popularly placed before place seem to fall into two categories: gerunds and other.
  6. noun
    a content word referring to a person, place, thing or action
    You're right on the money if you guess that this month's Lounge has something to do with nouns.
  7. semantic
    of or relating to meaning or the study of meaning
    Any among its many glosses in the VT (a special situation; an action; an artifact; an event; a special abstraction, etc.) can be the intended meaning when a noun precedes thing, but the semantic expansion of these phrases is a grab bag.
  8. common noun
    a noun that denotes any or all members of a class
    We'll return to that a bit later, but the interesting subject that this lexical artifact illuminates for us is the way that speakers modify these three generic and extremely common nouns — person, place, thing — by dropping another noun in front of them and thereby telegraphing a boatload of meaning in a small space — though not always unambiguously.
  9. subclass
    a taxonomic category below a class and above an order
    The shorthand accomplished by the construction [(noun) + person] can usually be expanded semantically in the most general way to [person who likes or enjoys (noun)], as the most common person companions show:

    morning person television person
    night person gun person
    cat person computer person
    dog person people person

    A subclass of this construction, in which the attributive spot is filled by the name of a food or dish, characterizes a person who enjoys or does not enjoy eating th...
  10. unambiguously
    in an unambiguous manner
    We'll return to that a bit later, but the interesting subject that this lexical artifact illuminates for us is the way that speakers modify these three generic and extremely common nouns — person, place, thing — by dropping another noun in front of them and thereby telegraphing a boatload of meaning in a small space — though not always unambiguously.
  11. alternative medicine
    the practice of medicine without the use of drugs
    " Teri Walsh # # Alternative Medicine Sprout Your
    he ship rails and absorbed the destruction.
  12. context
    the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation
    Consider the most common noun + thing pairs: how would you define them?

    guy thing team thing
    age thing girl thing
    family thing boy thing
    confidence thing nostalgia thing
    ego thing love thing

    Without context you have to shoot in the dark to some degree.
  13. art object
    a work of art of some artistic value
    * I always respond better to a well-made book as an art object itself as well as something to just be read, too.
  14. reincarnation
    a second or new birth
    Consider these sentences, pulled out of a corpus:

    * She plays both parts in the play; it's a reincarnation thing.
  15. conjugate
    undergo the act of becoming a single unit
    * To sow the seeds of cross-cultural comity, clumsily conjugating a verb may prove more effective than a thousand choruses of Kumbaya.
  16. artifact
    a man-made object
    We'll return to that a bit later, but the interesting subject that this lexical artifact illuminates for us is the way that speakers modify these three generic and extremely common nouns — person, place, thing — by dropping another noun in front of them and thereby telegraphing a boatload of meaning in a small space — though not always unambiguously.
  17. syllabus
    a summary or outline of what will be covered in an academic course
    So, armed with this knowledge (which it is probably fair to characterize as part of the syllabus of Anglophone cultural literacy), a fluent reader or listener exposed to kumbaya thing will probably supply a semantic box for it consisting roughly of "a situation, action, event, or behavior in which blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature play a significant role."
  18. heist
    the act of stealing
    * I just don't want to make it a Hollywood thing, making it an orchid heist thing ... changing the orchids into poppies and making it about drug running.
  19. comity
    a state or atmosphere of harmony or mutual civility
    * To sow the seeds of cross-cultural comity, clumsily conjugating a verb may prove more effective than a thousand choruses of Kumbaya.
  20. ratchet
    device consisting of a toothed wheel moving in one direction
    * I think the 3½ weeks going forward actually are — sorry to sound too kumbaya here — a healing part, where she has ratcheted down her rhetoric about him.
  21. generic
    relating to or applicable to an entire class or group
    We'll return to that a bit later, but the interesting subject that this lexical artifact illuminates for us is the way that speakers modify these three generic and extremely common nouns — person, place, thing — by dropping another noun in front of them and thereby telegraphing a boatload of meaning in a small space — though not always unambiguously.
  22. citation
    an official award usually given as formal public statement
    The first thing that might occur to you after reading these citations is that they are mainly revealing about the fact that thing is a symptom of laziness or lack of imagination, in which the speaker or writer fails to find a more specific word, or doesn't bother to look for one, to replace thing.
  23. filler
    anything added to fill out a whole
    If the attributive noun is not a gerund, a likely filler is a consumable, where the translation is [establishment where (noun) is served/sold], as in steak/fish/ice cream/barbecue place.
  24. mentality
    a habitual or characteristic attitude of the mind
    It's a mentality thing.
  25. orchid
    any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colors
    * I just don't want to make it a Hollywood thing, making it an orchid heist thing ... changing the orchids into poppies and making it about drug running.
  26. equal opportunity
    the right to equivalent opportunities for employment regardless of race or color or sex or national origin
    * The reference to equal opportunity is evident when the dean tells Kid that "this isn't a black thing, it 's a deadbeat thing."
  27. grill
    a framework of metal bars used as a partition or a grate
    Well, in the early years, my fan mail came in
    grill.
  28. adjective
    the word class that qualifies nouns
    There's no challenge in sticking an adjective before a noun in English — you could say that's where adjectives belong.
  29. sleight
    adroitness in using the hands
    This sleight-of-word is carried off most straightforwardly with person.
  30. perceptive
    of or relating to awareness via the senses
    " " That's very... perceptive of you.
  31. videotape
    a relatively wide magnetic tape for use in recording visual images and associated sound
    (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) I do stuff
    know?
  32. corvette
    a highly maneuverable escort warship
    All you want is
    for the Corvette's popularity.
  33. hypocrisy
    pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not have
    The Wikipedia article about the song "Kumbaya" notes that it is "cited or alluded to in satirical, sarcastic or even cynical ways that suggest blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature."
  34. canonical
    conforming to orthodox or recognized rules
    Dictionaries generally don't define Kumbaya or cover the figurative expression "sing Kumbaya," though it's high time they did: it's widely used and has already escaped the narrow confines of its canonical form, as can be seen in these citations:

    * Arena Stage had a major kumbaya moment last week that brought out the best in everyone.
  35. figurative
    not literal
    Dictionaries generally don't define Kumbaya or cover the figurative expression "sing Kumbaya," though it's high time they did: it's widely used and has already escaped the narrow confines of its canonical form, as can be seen in these citations:

    * Arena Stage had a major kumbaya moment last week that brought out the best in everyone.
  36. nostalgia
    a longing for something past
    Consider the most common noun + thing pairs: how would you define them?

    guy thing team thing
    age thing girl thing
    family thing boy thing
    confidence thing nostalgia thing
    ego thing love thing

    Without context you have to shoot in the dark to some degree.
  37. literacy
    the ability to read and write
    So, armed with this knowledge (which it is probably fair to characterize as part of the syllabus of Anglophone cultural literacy), a fluent reader or listener exposed to kumbaya thing will probably supply a semantic box for it consisting roughly of "a situation, action, event, or behavior in which blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature play a significant role."
  38. illuminate
    make lighter or brighter
    We'll return to that a bit later, but the interesting subject that this lexical artifact illuminates for us is the way that speakers modify these three generic and extremely common nouns — person, place, thing — by dropping another noun in front of them and thereby telegraphing a boatload of meaning in a small space — though not always unambiguously.
  39. construction
    the act of building something
    The shorthand accomplished by the construction [(noun) + person] can usually be expanded semantically in the most general way to [person who likes or enjoys (noun)], as the most common person companions show:

    morning person television person
    night person gun person
    cat person computer person
    dog person people person

    A subclass of this construction, in which the attributive spot is filled by the name of a food or dish, characterizes a person who enjoys or does not enjoy eating th...
  40. discerning
    having or revealing keen insight and good judgment
    Discerning (i.e.
  41. define
    show the form or outline of
    Consider the most common noun + thing pairs: how would you define them?

    guy thing team thing
    age thing girl thing
    family thing boy thing
    confidence thing nostalgia thing
    ego thing love thing

    Without context you have to shoot in the dark to some degree.
  42. public relations
    a promotion intended to create goodwill for a person or institution
    # Blessedly, a female public relations executive
    to obsessing about food, weight, and looks, it's a guy thing .
  43. cultural
    relating to the shared knowledge and values of a society
    * To sow the seeds of cross-cultural comity, clumsily conjugating a verb may prove more effective than a thousand choruses of Kumbaya.
  44. heart disease
    a disease of the heart
    My definition of stoker owe
    mportant, don't think of heart disease as " just a guy thing .
  45. satirical
    exposing human folly to ridicule
    The Wikipedia article about the song "Kumbaya" notes that it is "cited or alluded to in satirical, sarcastic or even cynical ways that suggest blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature."
  46. modify
    cause to change; make different
    We'll return to that a bit later, but the interesting subject that this lexical artifact illuminates for us is the way that speakers modify these three generic and extremely common nouns — person, place, thing — by dropping another noun in front of them and thereby telegraphing a boatload of meaning in a small space — though not always unambiguously.
  47. verb
    a word denoting an action, occurrence, or state of existence
    The [(gerund) + place] construction typically expands semantically to [place where someone/people (verb of the underlying gerund)].
  48. gloss
    the property of being smooth and shiny
    Any among its many glosses in the VT (a special situation; an action; an artifact; an event; a special abstraction, etc.) can be the intended meaning when a noun precedes thing, but the semantic expansion of these phrases is a grab bag.
  49. corpus
    a collection of writings
    Consider these sentences, pulled out of a corpus:

    * She plays both parts in the play; it's a reincarnation thing.
  50. confines
    a bounded scope
    Dictionaries generally don't define Kumbaya or cover the figurative expression "sing Kumbaya," though it's high time they did: it's widely used and has already escaped the narrow confines of its canonical form, as can be seen in these citations:

    * Arena Stage had a major kumbaya moment last week that brought out the best in everyone.
  51. sprout
    produce buds or branches; germinate
    " Teri Walsh # # Alternative Medicine Sprout Your
    he ship rails and absorbed the destruction.
  52. compound
    a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts
    Thus, meeting place, gathering place, and hiding place are all among the most common compounds.
  53. precede
    be earlier in time
    Any among its many glosses in the VT (a special situation; an action; an artifact; an event; a special abstraction, etc.) can be the intended meaning when a noun precedes thing, but the semantic expansion of these phrases is a grab bag.
  54. underlying
    in the nature of something though not readily apparent
    The [(gerund) + place] construction typically expands semantically to [place where someone/people (verb of the underlying gerund)].
  55. trio
    a set of three similar things considered as a unit
    Thing, the most general noun of the trio, is not so easy to pin down.
  56. abstraction
    the process of formulating general concepts
    Any among its many glosses in the VT (a special situation; an action; an artifact; an event; a special abstraction, etc.) can be the intended meaning when a noun precedes thing, but the semantic expansion of these phrases is a grab bag.
  57. creator
    a person who grows or makes or invents things
    My guest is Darren Star, creator of the HBO seri
    sing to relinquish it.
  58. allude
    make an indirect reference to
    The Wikipedia article about the song "Kumbaya" notes that it is "cited or alluded to in satirical, sarcastic or even cynical ways that suggest blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature."
  59. expand
    extend in one or more directions
    The shorthand accomplished by the construction [(noun) + person] can usually be expanded semantically in the most general way to [person who likes or enjoys (noun)], as the most common person companions show:

    morning person television person
    night person gun person
    cat person computer person
    dog person people person

    A subclass of this construction, in which the attributive spot is filled by the name of a food or dish, characterizes a person who enjoys or does not enjoy eating th...
  60. cynical
    believing the worst of human nature and motives
    The Wikipedia article about the song "Kumbaya" notes that it is "cited or alluded to in satirical, sarcastic or even cynical ways that suggest blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature."
  61. specifically
    in distinction from others
    Specifically, we've been digging up data on these very three nouns — person, place, thing — as a result of hearing a news snippet on the radio a few weeks ago, when a speaker characterized a situation as "a Kumbaya thing."
  62. democracy
    the orientation of those who favor government by the people
    * I'm not sure Lebanon or the Arab world can be a democracy.
  63. revealing
    showing or making known
    The first thing that might occur to you after reading these citations is that they are mainly revealing about the fact that thing is a symptom of laziness or lack of imagination, in which the speaker or writer fails to find a more specific word, or doesn't bother to look for one, to replace thing.
  64. fray
    wear away by rubbing
    It's sitting up high, above the fray " # Mr. Clin
    an I could with 20/20 vision.
  65. relinquish
    turn away from; give up
    My guest is Darren Star, creator of the HBO seri
    sing to relinquish it.
  66. underlie
    be underneath
    The [(gerund) + place] construction typically expands semantically to [place where someone/people (verb of the underlying gerund)].
  67. concentrate
    make denser, stronger, or purer
    She's too distracted to concentrate.
  68. environmental
    of or relating to the external conditions or surroundings
    As if environmental safety were some kind of guy thing , and manliness alone a defense against airborne b
    easts (The Big Mountain raunchiness is not just a guy thing ) used to be kept behind the bar.
  69. dominant
    most frequent or common
    It's a situation in which mentality has a dominant influence.
  70. manual
    of or relating to the hands
    Are women more likely to read a manual than a man
    , pretty much easier said than done because the guy thing ...
  71. rhetoric
    study of the technique for using language effectively
    * I think the 3½ weeks going forward actually are — sorry to sound too kumbaya here — a healing part, where she has ratcheted down her rhetoric about him.
  72. category
    a general concept that marks divisions or coordinations
    Attributive nouns popularly placed before place seem to fall into two categories: gerunds and other.
  73. dictionary
    a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words
    Dictionaries generally don't define Kumbaya or cover the figurative expression "sing Kumbaya," though it's high time they did: it's widely used and has already escaped the narrow confines of its canonical form, as can be seen in these citations:

    * Arena Stage had a major kumbaya moment last week that brought out the best in everyone.
  74. harass
    annoy continually or chronically
    We have this sort of way of taking things that ar
    that are cops, you know, that whole man thing and guy thing -- I just get harassed.
  75. expanded
    increased in extent or size or bulk or scope
    The shorthand accomplished by the construction [(noun) + person] can usually be expanded semantically in the most general way to [person who likes or enjoys (noun)], as the most common person companions show:

    morning person television person
    night person gun person
    cat person computer person
    dog person people person

    A subclass of this construction, in which the attributive spot is filled by the name of a food or dish, characterizes a person who enjoys or does not enjoy eating th...
  76. presumably
    by reasonable assumption
    So when we use another noun instead to modify a noun, it is presumably because no adjective would do the job as well.
  77. confine
    place limits on
    Dictionaries generally don't define Kumbaya or cover the figurative expression "sing Kumbaya," though it's high time they did: it's widely used and has already escaped the narrow confines of its canonical form, as can be seen in these citations:

    * Arena Stage had a major kumbaya moment last week that brought out the best in everyone.
  78. designer
    someone who creates plans to be used in making something
    Menswear Musts How to wear the look It's a guy thing this fall as designers turn tweeds, pinstripes and
    iends with one of the guys who work here.
  79. option
    one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen
    On the other hand, it would rob English of a measure of its hallmark punchiness and conciseness if speakers did not have the noun + thing option and had to say, for example:

    * She plays both parts in the film; it's a representation of reincarnation.
  80. expose
    make visible or apparent
    So, armed with this knowledge (which it is probably fair to characterize as part of the syllabus of Anglophone cultural literacy), a fluent reader or listener exposed to kumbaya thing will probably supply a semantic box for it consisting roughly of "a situation, action, event, or behavior in which blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature play a significant role."
  81. intend
    have in mind as a purpose
    Any among its many glosses in the VT (a special situation; an action; an artifact; an event; a special abstraction, etc.) can be the intended meaning when a noun precedes thing, but the semantic expansion of these phrases is a grab bag.
  82. distract
    draw someone's attention away from something
    She's too distracted to concentrate.
  83. replace
    put something back where it belongs
    The first thing that might occur to you after reading these citations is that they are mainly revealing about the fact that thing is a symptom of laziness or lack of imagination, in which the speaker or writer fails to find a more specific word, or doesn't bother to look for one, to replace thing.
  84. adequate
    having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
    * She knew it was a liver thing, but she didn't have adequate medical information and didn't think it was very dangerous.
  85. expansion
    the act of increasing in size or volume or quantity or scope
    Any among its many glosses in the VT (a special situation; an action; an artifact; an event; a special abstraction, etc.) can be the intended meaning when a noun precedes thing, but the semantic expansion of these phrases is a grab bag.
  86. definitely
    without question and beyond doubt
    Oh, I definitely think that it's a guy thing .
  87. discern
    perceive, recognize, or detect
    Discerning (i.e.
  88. data
    a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn
    Specifically, we've been digging up data on these very three nouns — person, place, thing — as a result of hearing a news snippet on the radio a few weeks ago, when a speaker characterized a situation as "a Kumbaya thing."
  89. datum
    an item of factual information from measurement or research
    Specifically, we've been digging up data on these very three nouns — person, place, thing — as a result of hearing a news snippet on the radio a few weeks ago, when a speaker characterized a situation as "a Kumbaya thing."
  90. definition
    a brief explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase
    My definition of stoker owe
    mportant, don't think of heart disease as " just a guy thing .
  91. scratch
    cut, scrape, or wear away the surface of
    # She's

    When less frequently-occurring nouns appear before thing, the intended meaning can often border on obscurity; without some context, native speakers would rightly concluded that the meaning is not clear; even with context, nonnative speakers probably scratch their heads.
  92. relax
    make less taut
    You know, we relax
    of the television, cover him up.
  93. cite
    make reference to
    The Wikipedia article about the song "Kumbaya" notes that it is "cited or alluded to in satirical, sarcastic or even cynical ways that suggest blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature."
  94. alternative
    one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen
    " Teri Walsh # # Alternative Medicine Sprout Your
    he ship rails and absorbed the destruction.
  95. attribute
    a quality belonging to or characteristic of an entity
    It's something that I would never attribute to a
    no pun intended ) of staff - it 's a guy thing , " but not gay " - you have the right
    some reason, you know, it's like a silly, juvenile guy thing .
  96. conclude
    bring to a close
    # She's

    When less frequently-occurring nouns appear before thing, the intended meaning can often border on obscurity; without some context, native speakers would rightly concluded that the meaning is not clear; even with context, nonnative speakers probably scratch their heads.
  97. symptom
    a sensation associated with a particular disease
    The first thing that might occur to you after reading these citations is that they are mainly revealing about the fact that thing is a symptom of laziness or lack of imagination, in which the speaker or writer fails to find a more specific word, or doesn't bother to look for one, to replace thing.
  98. specific
    stated explicitly or in detail
    The first thing that might occur to you after reading these citations is that they are mainly revealing about the fact that thing is a symptom of laziness or lack of imagination, in which the speaker or writer fails to find a more specific word, or doesn't bother to look for one, to replace thing.
  99. chorus
    actors who comment on the action in a classical Greek play
    * To sow the seeds of cross-cultural comity, clumsily conjugating a verb may prove more effective than a thousand choruses of Kumbaya.
  100. vehicle
    a conveyance that transports people or objects
    " She dismissed the remark with
    a vehicle, he says, " Owning a truck is kind of a guy thing .
  101. consider
    think about carefully; weigh
    Consider the most common noun + thing pairs: how would you define them?

    guy thing team thing
    age thing girl thing
    family thing boy thing
    confidence thing nostalgia thing
    ego thing love thing

    Without context you have to shoot in the dark to some degree.
  102. significant
    rich in implication
    So, armed with this knowledge (which it is probably fair to characterize as part of the syllabus of Anglophone cultural literacy), a fluent reader or listener exposed to kumbaya thing will probably supply a semantic box for it consisting roughly of "a situation, action, event, or behavior in which blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature play a significant role."
  103. fortunate
    having unexpected good luck
    In which case, it's fortunate for everyone that speakers and writers can resort to the shorthand of the attributive noun + generic noun construction: it's an economy thing.
  104. writer
    a person who is able to write and has written something
    The first thing that might occur to you after reading these citations is that they are mainly revealing about the fact that thing is a symptom of laziness or lack of imagination, in which the speaker or writer fails to find a more specific word, or doesn't bother to look for one, to replace thing.
  105. representation
    standing in for someone and speaking on their behalf
    On the other hand, it would rob English of a measure of its hallmark punchiness and conciseness if speakers did not have the noun + thing option and had to say, for example:

    * She plays both parts in the film; it's a representation of reincarnation.
  106. occur
    come to pass
    # She's

    When less frequently-occurring nouns appear before thing, the intended meaning can often border on obscurity; without some context, native speakers would rightly concluded that the meaning is not clear; even with context, nonnative speakers probably scratch their heads.
  107. computer
    a machine for performing calculations automatically
    The shorthand accomplished by the construction [(noun) + person] can usually be expanded semantically in the most general way to [person who likes or enjoys (noun)], as the most common person companions show:

    morning person television person
    night person gun person
    cat person computer person
    dog person people person

    A subclass of this construction, in which the attributive spot is filled by the name of a food or dish, characterizes a person who enjoys or does not enjoy eating th...
  108. thereby
    by that means or because of that
    We'll return to that a bit later, but the interesting subject that this lexical artifact illuminates for us is the way that speakers modify these three generic and extremely common nouns — person, place, thing — by dropping another noun in front of them and thereby telegraphing a boatload of meaning in a small space — though not always unambiguously.
  109. translation
    rendering in another language with the same meaning
    If the attributive noun is not a gerund, a likely filler is a consumable, where the translation is [establishment where (noun) is served/sold], as in steak/fish/ice cream/barbecue place.
  110. challenge
    a call to engage in a contest or fight
    There's no challenge in sticking an adjective before a noun in English — you could say that's where adjectives belong.
  111. dismiss
    stop associating with
    " She dismissed the remark with
    a vehicle, he says, " Owning a truck is kind of a guy thing .
  112. remote
    located far away spatially
    You think manning the remote is a guy thing ?
  113. rail
    a horizontal bar, usually of wood or metal
    " Teri Walsh # # Alternative Medicine Sprout Your
    he ship rails and absorbed the destruction.
  114. absorb
    take in a liquid
    " Teri Walsh # # Alternative Medicine Sprout Your
    he ship rails and absorbed the destruction.
  115. democrat
    an advocate of rule by and for the people
    * We had Ann Lewis on earlier tonight and she was saying, "You know, this is kumbaya for the Democrats."
  116. fan
    a device for creating a current of air by movement
    Well, in the early years, my fan mail came in
    grill.
  117. respond
    show a reaction to something
    * I always respond better to a well-made book as an art object itself as well as something to just be read, too.
  118. event
    something that happens at a given place and time
    Any among its many glosses in the VT (a special situation; an action; an artifact; an event; a special abstraction, etc.) can be the intended meaning when a noun precedes thing, but the semantic expansion of these phrases is a grab bag.
  119. role
    the actions and activities assigned to a person or group
    So, armed with this knowledge (which it is probably fair to characterize as part of the syllabus of Anglophone cultural literacy), a fluent reader or listener exposed to kumbaya thing will probably supply a semantic box for it consisting roughly of "a situation, action, event, or behavior in which blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature play a significant role."
  120. establishment
    the act of forming something
    If the attributive noun is not a gerund, a likely filler is a consumable, where the translation is [establishment where (noun) is served/sold], as in steak/fish/ice cream/barbecue place.
  121. medicine
    the profession devoted to alleviating diseases and injuries
    " Teri Walsh # # Alternative Medicine Sprout Your
    he ship rails and absorbed the destruction.
  122. drug
    a substance that is used as a medicine or narcotic
    * I just don't want to make it a Hollywood thing, making it an orchid heist thing ... changing the orchids into poppies and making it about drug running.
  123. action
    something done (usually as opposed to something said)
    Any among its many glosses in the VT (a special situation; an action; an artifact; an event; a special abstraction, etc.) can be the intended meaning when a noun precedes thing, but the semantic expansion of these phrases is a grab bag.
  124. evident
    clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
    * The reference to equal opportunity is evident when the dean tells Kid that "this isn't a black thing, it 's a deadbeat thing."
  125. medical
    relating to the study or practice of medicine
    * She knew it was a liver thing, but she didn't have adequate medical information and didn't think it was very dangerous.
  126. economy
    the system of production and distribution and consumption
    In which case, it's fortunate for everyone that speakers and writers can resort to the shorthand of the attributive noun + generic noun construction: it's an economy thing.
  127. effect
    a phenomenon that is caused by some previous phenomenon
    * We were excited, and when it was explained to us, the effects our visit would have, it was a pride thing.
  128. border
    the boundary of a surface
    # She's

    When less frequently-occurring nouns appear before thing, the intended meaning can often border on obscurity; without some context, native speakers would rightly concluded that the meaning is not clear; even with context, nonnative speakers probably scratch their heads.
  129. human
    a person; a hominid with a large brain and articulate speech
    The Wikipedia article about the song "Kumbaya" notes that it is "cited or alluded to in satirical, sarcastic or even cynical ways that suggest blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature."
  130. executive
    a person responsible for the administration of a business
    # Blessedly, a female public relations executive
    to obsessing about food, weight, and looks, it's a guy thing .
  131. view
    the visual percept of a region
    The Wikipedia article about the song "Kumbaya" notes that it is "cited or alluded to in satirical, sarcastic or even cynical ways that suggest blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature."
  132. vision
    the ability to see
    It's sitting up high, above the fray " # Mr. Clin
    an I could with 20/20 vision.
  133. sentence
    a string of words satisfying grammatical rules of a language
    Consider these sentences, pulled out of a corpus:

    * She plays both parts in the play; it's a reincarnation thing.
  134. film
    a series of moving pictures that tells a story
    On the other hand, it would rob English of a measure of its hallmark punchiness and conciseness if speakers did not have the noun + thing option and had to say, for example:

    * She plays both parts in the film; it's a representation of reincarnation.
  135. accomplish
    achieve with effort
    The shorthand accomplished by the construction [(noun) + person] can usually be expanded semantically in the most general way to [person who likes or enjoys (noun)], as the most common person companions show:

    morning person television person
    night person gun person
    cat person computer person
    dog person people person

    A subclass of this construction, in which the attributive spot is filled by the name of a food or dish, characterizes a person who enjoys or does not enjoy eating th...
  136. reveal
    make visible
    The first thing that might occur to you after reading these citations is that they are mainly revealing about the fact that thing is a symptom of laziness or lack of imagination, in which the speaker or writer fails to find a more specific word, or doesn't bother to look for one, to replace thing.
  137. disease
    an impairment of health
    My definition of stoker owe
    mportant, don't think of heart disease as " just a guy thing .
  138. depend
    be determined by something else
    It can be any of these, depending on the context:

    look at me?
  139. major
    greater in scope or effect
    Dictionaries generally don't define Kumbaya or cover the figurative expression "sing Kumbaya," though it's high time they did: it's widely used and has already escaped the narrow confines of its canonical form, as can be seen in these citations:

    * Arena Stage had a major kumbaya moment last week that brought out the best in everyone.
  140. team
    a cooperative unit
    Consider the most common noun + thing pairs: how would you define them?

    guy thing team thing
    age thing girl thing
    family thing boy thing
    confidence thing nostalgia thing
    ego thing love thing

    Without context you have to shoot in the dark to some degree.
  141. consist
    have its essential character
    So, armed with this knowledge (which it is probably fair to characterize as part of the syllabus of Anglophone cultural literacy), a fluent reader or listener exposed to kumbaya thing will probably supply a semantic box for it consisting roughly of "a situation, action, event, or behavior in which blind or false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature play a significant role."
  142. lack
    the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
    The first thing that might occur to you after reading these citations is that they are mainly revealing about the fact that thing is a symptom of laziness or lack of imagination, in which the speaker or writer fails to find a more specific word, or doesn't bother to look for one, to replace thing.
  143. narrow
    not wide
    Dictionaries generally don't define Kumbaya or cover the figurative expression "sing Kumbaya," though it's high time they did: it's widely used and has already escaped the narrow confines of its canonical form, as can be seen in these citations:

    * Arena Stage had a major kumbaya moment last week that brought out the best in everyone.
  144. reading
    written material intended to be read
    The first thing that might occur to you after reading these citations is that they are mainly revealing about the fact that thing is a symptom of laziness or lack of imagination, in which the speaker or writer fails to find a more specific word, or doesn't bother to look for one, to replace thing.
  145. equal
    having the same quantity, value, or measure as another
    * The reference to equal opportunity is evident when the dean tells Kid that "this isn't a black thing, it 's a deadbeat thing."
  146. companion
    a friend who is frequently with another
    The shorthand accomplished by the construction [(noun) + person] can usually be expanded semantically in the most general way to [person who likes or enjoys (noun)], as the most common person companions show:

    morning person television person
    night person gun person
    cat person computer person
    dog person people person

    A subclass of this construction, in which the attributive spot is filled by the name of a food or dish, characterizes a person who enjoys or does not enjoy eating th...
  147. opportunity
    a possibility from a favorable combination of circumstances
    * The reference to equal opportunity is evident when the dean tells Kid that "this isn't a black thing, it 's a deadbeat thing."
Created on Mon Mar 01 22:14:46 EST 2010

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