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Like what doesn't!

English translation: Everything (causes it to rain in Manchester!)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Like what doesn't!
Selected answer:Everything (causes it to rain in Manchester!)
Entered by: KathyT

05:47 Sep 25, 2005
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / quantitative finance
English term or phrase: Like what doesn't!
This is the 'butterfly effect,' that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil will 'cause' rainfall over Manchester. (Like what doesn't!) A topic popular in the early 1990s, this has not lived up to its promises in the financial world.
Edward LIU
Canada
Local time: 13:10
Everything causes it to rain in Manchester!
Explanation:
Like what doesn't = Like what doesn't cause rain in Manchester!
(Speaker is being sarcastic)
That is, it is ALWAYS raining in Manchester!
Selected response from:

KathyT
Australia
Local time: 03:10
Grading comment
Thank you all very much but Kathy's version is easiest for a foreigner to understand.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +9Everything causes it to rain in Manchester!
KathyT
4 +10But then again, anything might!
Chris Pott
4 +4it's no surprise
Teresa Reinhardt
4 +2sarcastic comment
Charlesp
5and what does not!
Vjekoslav Pavic
4 +1So what's new!
Alaa Zeineldine
4what would possibly not?
Elizabeth Castaldini
4tell me what doesn't cause it to rain in Manchester!
Rachel Fell


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
like what doesn't!
it's no surprise


Explanation:
since it rains all the time in Manchester anyway; meaning that the action/explanation chosen is one that is so frequent/or to be expected anyway so that it does not prove anything

Teresa Reinhardt
United States
Local time: 10:10
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Refugio
7 mins
  -> Thanks, Ruth!
agree  Norbert Hermann
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Hermann!
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
11 hrs
  -> Thanks, Marju!
agree  Rachel Fell
1 day 4 hrs
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +9
like what doesn't!
Everything causes it to rain in Manchester!


Explanation:
Like what doesn't = Like what doesn't cause rain in Manchester!
(Speaker is being sarcastic)
That is, it is ALWAYS raining in Manchester!

KathyT
Australia
Local time: 03:10
Native speaker of: English
Grading comment
Thank you all very much but Kathy's version is easiest for a foreigner to understand.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Johan Venter: Maybe not always, but often enough at any rate
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, venter (-:
agree  Jeannie Graham
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, kalimeh (-:
agree  Clair Pickworth
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, Clair (-:
agree  Ian M-H (X)
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, Ian (-:
agree  Ivana UK
8 hrs
  -> Thanks, Ivana (-:
agree  Ken Cox: that's certainly the meaning
10 hrs
  -> Thanks, Kenneth (-:
agree  Espoc
22 hrs
  -> Thanks, Espoc (-:
agree  Rachel Fell
1 day 4 hrs
  -> Thank you, Rachel (-:
agree  conejo
1 day 10 hrs
  -> �ǂ���ł����B (-:
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +10
like what doesn't!
But then again, anything might!


Explanation:
This keeps the humour.

Chris Pott
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:10
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  transparx
1 hr
agree  Kevin Kelly
1 hr
agree  Elizabeth Lyons
2 hrs
agree  Dave Calderhead
2 hrs
agree  Asghar Bhatti
4 hrs
agree  David Moore (X)
6 hrs
agree  Ken Cox: yep -- there's no need to look for a cause...
10 hrs
agree  Rachel Fell
1 day 4 hrs
agree  conejo
1 day 10 hrs
agree  jennifer newsome (X)
1 day 13 hrs
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
like what doesn't!
and what does not!


Explanation:
:)

Vjekoslav Pavic
Croatia
Local time: 19:10
Native speaker of: Croatian
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
like what doesn't!
sarcastic comment


Explanation:
-

Charlesp
Sweden
Local time: 19:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Roman Bardachev: exactly, like it rains there all the time anyway
4 hrs
  -> I wouldn't know, but perhaps it does.
agree  Rachel Fell: Commonly said to be the case, though probably meteorologically inaccurate!//Maybe!
1 day 1 hr
  -> maybe then it wasn't meant sarcastically, but simply factaully?
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
like what doesn't!
So what's new!


Explanation:
As Teresa's also explained above, it always rains in Manchester anyway.



Alaa Zeineldine
Egypt
Local time: 19:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ivana UK
2 hrs
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
like what doesn't!
what would possibly not?


Explanation:
Well, that's how I would paraphrase a coloquial sentence, by correcting the grammar.

Elizabeth Castaldini
Local time: 13:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
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2 days 10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
like what doesn't!
tell me what doesn't cause it to rain in Manchester!


Explanation:
ironic comment, wry British humour

Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:10
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
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