how many times could you shed your skin?

English translation: how many times could you completely change the way you are?

09:00 Oct 27, 2007

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / literature

English term or phrase: how many times could you shed your skin?

How many times could you shed your skin? and How many times could you start from the beginning?

are they similar?

fortunetelle (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 89 (none open) (5 closed without grading) Answers: 0
Local time: 05:08

Selected answer:how many times could you completely change the way you are?

Explanation:
I believe the expression comes from the snakes' ability to shed their old skin. It means changing your nature, changing your ways, turning your back on what you are...

Selected response from:

Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:08

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

3 +2

how many times could you completely change the way you are?

Nesrin

3 +1

Similar but not the same

Patricia Townshend (X)

Answers

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

how many times could you completely change the way you are?

Explanation:
I believe the expression comes from the snakes' ability to shed their old skin. It means changing your nature, changing your ways, turning your back on what you are...

Nesrin
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:08
Native speaker of: Arabic
PRO pts in category: 80

Notes to answerer

Asker: thanks

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Similar but not the same

Explanation:
I wouldn't think they are entirely the same though perhaps similar. Shedding your skin implies a complete change of direction, getting rid of the past, whereas starting from the beginning may not necessarily imply that - it could just mean doing the same thing again but omitting the mistakes. Difficult without further context.

Patricia Townshend (X)
South Africa
Local time: 04:08
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 36

Notes to answerer

Asker: thanks

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