Last time I checked
<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="last">last</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="checked">checked</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="conversation">conversation</span>:</p><p><span word="A">A</span>: <span word="Yep">Yep</span>, <span word="last">last</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="checked">checked</span>, <span word="Barack">Barack</span> <span word="Obama">Obama</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="socialist">socialist</span>.</p><p><span word="B">B</span>: <span word="Can">Can</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="agree">agree</span> <span word="more">more</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sun">sun</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="rise">rise</span> <span word="tomorrow">tomorrow</span> <span word="morning">morning</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p>“<span word="Last">Last</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="checked">checked</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="clich">clich</span>é, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="meaningless">meaningless</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="decidedly">decidedly</span> <span word="overused">overused</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="conversation">conversation</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="practically">practically</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="yet">yet</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="useful">useful</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="practically">practically</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="out">out</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="clear">clear</span>, <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="here">here</span>, <span word="Obama">Obama</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="socialist">socialist</span>.</p><p><span word="Yet">Yet</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="useful">useful</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="effective">effective</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="emphasis">emphasis</span>. <span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="emphasis">emphasis</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="sarcasm">sarcasm</span>, <span word="making">making</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="sound">sound</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="if">if</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Person">Person</span> <span word="B">B</span> <span word="concurs">concurs</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Obama">Obama</span> <span word="is">is</span> “<span word="still">still</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="socialist">socialist</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="true">true</span> <span word="as">as</span> “<span word="the">the</span> <span word="sun">sun</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="rise">rise</span> <span word="tomorrow">tomorrow</span> <span word="morning">morning</span>.”</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="rate">rate</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="useful">useful</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foreign">foreign</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="learner">learner</span>. <span word="Meaningless">Meaningless</span> <span word="clich">clich</span>é<span word="s">s</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="were">were</span>, <span word="idiomatic">idiomatic</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="English">English</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="remember">remember</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="visited">visited</span> <span word="America">America</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="further">further</span> <span word="journalist">journalist</span> <span word="studies">studies</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1989, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="fellow">fellow</span> <span word="students">students</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="invited">invited</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="introduce">introduce</span> <span word="ourselves">ourselves</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="places">places</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="class">class</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="broken">broken</span> <span word="English">English</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="haltingly">haltingly</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="natural">natural</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="sprinkle">sprinkle</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="speech">speech</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="like">like</span> “<span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span>” <span word="and">and</span> “<span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>”.</p>
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