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Mini-contest 2012: "Yogi Berra Quotes"»  Source text notes: English

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Examples:
Source textPossible source text note
We're lost, but we're making good time.In US English, 'making good time' means 'making good progress' (not 'having fun').
If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be.Grammatically, a contradiction. This adds to the impact of the remark.
I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.'encyclopedia' sounds like something you could ride to school on. (That's the only reason this quote is notable.)

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Source text segment #8

- "We're lost, but we're making good time."

Notes about this source segment

Rank by:
+34
"Making good time" on a journey is when you are on/ahead of schedule.
You can't "make good time" on a journey when you're lost, as you can't know when you will reach your destination nor if you will be on/ahead of schedule.
+18 | -1
The meaning is very similar to "going nowhere fast." Speed doesn't mean much if you are not progressing towards your destination.
+3
According to old good Berra he states he made this remark while driving to the Hall of Fame with his wife and sons. His wife was giving him a hard time, so he gave it back by saying: 'We’re lost, but we’re making good time!' - which implies Berra was
+2 | -1
It is a "bad news - good news" pun. We did not get to the right place, but did get here right on the scheduled time.
على الرغم من أننا ضللنا الطريق؛ إلا أننا قضينا وقتًا طيبًا.
We're lost but we're making good time. Meaning we're not quite where we intended to be (for different reasons, mostly due to our own negligence) but we try to do the best out of it. Мы заблудились, не потерялись.
-1
Even though you are lost, you can enjoy your trip or journey to a new continent just because you are with somebody you have many to talk with. Thinking of how overcrowded cities are nowadays, it isn't surprising to love walking in the middle of nowhere.
-1
We may be slow but all is not loss yet!
+1 | -2
It is a "bad news - good news " pun. We did not get to the right place but we dit get her right on the scheduled time.
+1 | -5
To "make good time" is often used for the impression that one has that one is on or ahead of schedule, so "make good time" is more about one's impression than about the actual situation. Berra means they're not sure about their progress but at least they
-12
As a sportsman, maybe he meant that they were in 'damage limitation' mode. They'd lost the game, but they were now playing defensively to try to stop their opponents stretching their lead in the remaining part of the game.
+1 | -13
We will eventually reach our destination, although it will take time because we're presently lost. However, being lost is part of the journey. A metaphor for life.

Source text

Full source text (2)

#1 - "I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous." (29)

#2 - "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." (18)

#3 - "You can observe a lot just by watchin'." (15)

#4 - "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." (24)

#5 - "I can't concentrate when I'm thinking." (12)

#6 - "The future ain't what it used to be." (10)

#7 - "I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did." (19)

#8 - "We're lost, but we're making good time." (12)

#9 - "Half the lies they tell about me aren't true." (8)

#10 - "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore." (10)

#11 - "It's like deja-vu, all over again." (8)

#12 - "It ain't over till it's over." (11)

#13 - Mrs. Lindsay: "You certainly look cool." Yogi Berra: "Thanks, you don't look so hot yourself." (10)

#14 - "If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be." (22)