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if she's (he's) an inch

English translation: emphatic

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:if she's (he's) an inch
Selected answer:emphatic
Entered by: Alex Linosh

12:28 Nov 20, 2007
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
English term or phrase: if she's (he's) an inch
From all the sentences with this phrase I can't really guess what it is used for.

"You're looking into the deepest part of Crystal Lake, ...A hundred feet if she's an inch..."
Alex Linosh
emphatic
Explanation:
Suggesting that the figure may be even an underestimation (although in some contexts it will turn out to be an exaggeration! - wonderful language!)

"Joe Paterno is 8 feet tall if he's an inch" firemarkmay.blogspot.com/2007/09/joe-paterno-is-8-feet-tall-if-hes-inch.html

Selected response from:

Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Local time: 23:45
Grading comment
Thank you
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +10emphatic
Noni Gilbert Riley
4at least a hundred feet
corbett bogd (X)
3explanation
Claire Cox
1I have no idea
Michael Powers (PhD)


  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
explanation


Explanation:
Gosh, this is a really funny expression when you come to think of it. It's quite normal, but doesn't actually make any sense when you analyse it - I suppose that's idionmatic English for you.

I would understand it to mean "at my best guess" - if I had to estimate the depth of the lake, I would estimate it to be close to 100 feet.

HTH

Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:45
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 3
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +10
emphatic


Explanation:
Suggesting that the figure may be even an underestimation (although in some contexts it will turn out to be an exaggeration! - wonderful language!)

"Joe Paterno is 8 feet tall if he's an inch" firemarkmay.blogspot.com/2007/09/joe-paterno-is-8-feet-tall-if-hes-inch.html



Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Local time: 23:45
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thank you

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Patricia Townshend (X)
13 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  MurielP (X)
29 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  Ken Cox
29 mins
  -> Thank you.
agree  awilliams: yes. "...and not an inch shallower" is how I see it.
34 mins
  -> Yes, thank you.
agree  Armorel Young: yes, the same construction occurs in things like "she's 50 if she's a day" (i.e. she's at least 50 and possibly a lot older)
1 hr
  -> Yes, thank you.
agree  Shirley Lao
1 hr
  -> Thank you.
agree  jccantrell
2 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  marybro
3 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  V_Nedkov
3 hrs
  -> Thank you.
agree  Cristina Santos
9 hrs
  -> Thanks Cristina.
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
I have no idea


Explanation:
I really have no idea. I don't believe it is used in the U.S. at all. Or, maybe it is, and it is just I that is deficient in its use.

Live and learn - interesting.

Mike :)

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 17:45
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12
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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
if she\\\'s (he\\\'s) an inch
at least a hundred feet


Explanation:
very sure it's a least a 100 feet deep

corbett bogd (X)
Canada
Local time: 15:45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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