as much about...as anything else

English translation: no aspect of the jazz camp is more important or significant than professional global awareness

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:as much about...as anything else
Selected answer:no aspect of the jazz camp is more important or significant than professional global awareness
Entered by: Charles Davis

11:28 Jul 18, 2013
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Journalism
English term or phrase: as much about...as anything else
What is the exact meaning you would give this sentence? How can we say this in a different way?

This jazz camp is as much about professional global awareness as anything else.
crocox
Romania
No aspect of the jazz camp is more important or significant than professional global awareness
Explanation:
I basically agree with Tony, but it's not quite a matter of "as much about X as about Y"; it's "as much about X as about anything else", and "anything else" means any other aspect of the jazz camp. "Camp" implies those who are committed to and defend a cause, so the "jazz camp" could mean all those who are keen on jazz; but here, "professional awareness" implies that it probably refers to the community of jazz practitioners: jazz musicians.

"As much about X as anything else" is a common expression; in fact it's a set phrase. It means that nothing else, no other element or feature of the thing concerned, is more important than X. X is what mainly characterises it. Strictly speaking it is not saying that X is more important than any other aspect, since it leaves open the possibility that something else is equally important (it doesn't say "more about X than anything else"); however, that, in practice, is what one understands it to mean.

So interpreting it a little further, you might say that it means something like: "No quality (or accomplishment) is more important to a jazz musician than professional global awareness".

Professional global awareness could mean an awareness of what everyone else in the profession is doing, or a complete awareness of what a jazz professional does.

By the way, I quite agree with Tony and Terry that in this expression X is often something unexpected. You might expect that the most important thing would be musical skill rather than "global awareness", for example.

But one reason I wouldn't express it as "as much about X as about Y" is that there's no single Y; Y could be anything, any aspect of the jazz world. There's no opposition between "jazz" and "professional global awareness"; the latter is one of many aspects of jazz.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day21 hrs (2013-07-20 08:33:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Now that you have explained that this "jazz camp" is a kind of course of instruction, it probably means that as much time and attention are devoted to professional global awareness as to any other aspect of being a jazz musician (such as instrumental skill). There is no other aspect of being a jazz musician that receives more attention at the camp than this one.
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 09:59
Grading comment
Thank you very much!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +4it is about X just as much as it is about Y
Tony M
4 +2No aspect of the jazz camp is more important or significant than professional global awareness
Charles Davis
4The jazz camp does not simply try to evoke professional global awareness, but
Veronika McLaren


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
it is about X just as much as it is about Y


Explanation:
This suggest the writer is trying to say "although it is ostensibly about Y (here, jazz), in reality it is also very much about X (i.e. global awareness)

So even though X may not be obvious, explicit, or whatever, it is actually an element that is just as important / applicable.

Tony M
France
Local time: 09:59
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Terry Richards: With at least a hint that X is somewhat unexpected.
34 mins
  -> Thanks, Terry! Yes, indeed!

agree  Ketty Federico
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Ketty!

agree  Diana Alsobrook
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Diana!

agree  NancyLynn
1 day 4 hrs
  -> Thanks, Nancy!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
The jazz camp does not simply try to evoke professional global awareness, but


Explanation:
...offers many other ideas as well.

Veronika McLaren
Local time: 04:59
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: Sorry, Veronika, but I think you have actually got those ideas the wrong way round :-(
7 mins
  -> The songs raising global awareness?
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
No aspect of the jazz camp is more important or significant than professional global awareness


Explanation:
I basically agree with Tony, but it's not quite a matter of "as much about X as about Y"; it's "as much about X as about anything else", and "anything else" means any other aspect of the jazz camp. "Camp" implies those who are committed to and defend a cause, so the "jazz camp" could mean all those who are keen on jazz; but here, "professional awareness" implies that it probably refers to the community of jazz practitioners: jazz musicians.

"As much about X as anything else" is a common expression; in fact it's a set phrase. It means that nothing else, no other element or feature of the thing concerned, is more important than X. X is what mainly characterises it. Strictly speaking it is not saying that X is more important than any other aspect, since it leaves open the possibility that something else is equally important (it doesn't say "more about X than anything else"); however, that, in practice, is what one understands it to mean.

So interpreting it a little further, you might say that it means something like: "No quality (or accomplishment) is more important to a jazz musician than professional global awareness".

Professional global awareness could mean an awareness of what everyone else in the profession is doing, or a complete awareness of what a jazz professional does.

By the way, I quite agree with Tony and Terry that in this expression X is often something unexpected. You might expect that the most important thing would be musical skill rather than "global awareness", for example.

But one reason I wouldn't express it as "as much about X as about Y" is that there's no single Y; Y could be anything, any aspect of the jazz world. There's no opposition between "jazz" and "professional global awareness"; the latter is one of many aspects of jazz.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day21 hrs (2013-07-20 08:33:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Now that you have explained that this "jazz camp" is a kind of course of instruction, it probably means that as much time and attention are devoted to professional global awareness as to any other aspect of being a jazz musician (such as instrumental skill). There is no other aspect of being a jazz musician that receives more attention at the camp than this one.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 09:59
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you very much!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jessica Guimaraes
1 hr
  -> Thank you, Jessica!

agree  Pavle Perencevic
1 day 19 hrs
  -> Thank you, Pavle!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search