Less than meets the eye
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="meets">meets</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="passage">passage</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="rise">rise</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="June">June</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="sales">sales</span> <span word="figures">figures</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="meets">meets</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>. <span word="New">New</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="sales">sales</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="June">June</span> <span word="of">of</span> 2009 <span word="were">were</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worst">worst</span> <span word="totals">totals</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="June">June</span> <span word="since">since</span> 1982.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="though">though</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="sales">sales</span> <span word="reportedly">reportedly</span> <span word="rose">rose</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="size">size</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="significant">significant</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="appears">appears</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span> <span word="explains">explains</span>, <span word="total">total</span> <span word="sales">sales</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="June">June</span> <span word="of">of</span> 2009 <span word="were">were</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worst">worst</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="June">June</span> <span word="since">since</span> 1982.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="wit">wit</span>, <span word="gloom">gloom</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="sales">sales</span> <span word="front">front</span> <span word="remains">remains</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Less">Less</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="meets">meets</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>” <span word="means">means</span> <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="meets">meets</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>. <span word="What">What</span> <span word="meets">meets</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>. <span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="meets">meets</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="significant">significant</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="or">or</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="case">case</span>, <span word="less">less</span> <span word="encouraging">encouraging</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="thought">thought</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="those">those</span> <span word="figures">figures</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="unimpressive">unimpressive</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, “<span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="meets">meets</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="variation">variation</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="commonplace">commonplace</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> “<span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="meets">meets</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>” <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="better">better</span>, <span word="bigger">bigger</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="complicated">complicated</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="perceived">perceived</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>, <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="that">that</span>.</p><p><span word="Here">Here</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="each">each</span>, <span word="first">first</span> <span word="less">less</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="meets">meets</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>:</p><p>1. <span word="EARLIER">EARLIER</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span>, <span word="Bob">Bob</span> <span word="Zoellick">Zoellick</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="Bank">Bank</span>, <span word="grandly">grandly</span> <span word="declared">declared</span> <span word="that">that</span> “2009 <span word="saw">saw</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="world">world</span>”—<span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="distinct">distinct</span>, <span word="separate">separate</span> <span word="section">section</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="humanity">humanity</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="poor">poor</span>, <span word="aid">aid</span>-<span word="dependent">dependent</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="much">much</span>. <span word="Is">Is</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="right">right</span>?</p>
页:
[1]