[beauflow]

What does this mean.

it may sound stupid to some...... but i think i may have been using this phrase wrong.. or have i?

"All Accounted for" (as in reference to items)

Does that not mean that things are either in possession of or that I know where they are? "The Phone is accounted for but I have lent it out to someone".

is that wrong?

and reading the definitions for this is utterly boggling me right now
http://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/account_for.htm


http://www.thefreedictionary.com/accounted+for

2. To provide an explanation or justification for:

i think my brain is racked today....

[Hatter08]

Sounded right to me, like when teachers say "All Present and Accounted For," it means they know where everyone is, I'm pretty sure.

[beauflow]

((Thanks Hatter08 for the response))

((Thanks George for the hugs too))

I am sorry I get doubtful with myself. This probably seems really simplistic to some people, I am sure.....

There has been times that I have been using a saying utterly incorrect since I was little due to that is how I always heard it being used OR I some where with the learning process did not get it fully....
Like my S/O let me know about a month ago that how I used to use "by far from".. was wrong and confusing.

One of my lack of communication skills and I think one of my struggles is some of this.

For example I would say- "We are by far from perfect with being humans"... Me trying to say that, we are not perfect and far from it....
Well, my S/O let me know-- that by far is actually saying something like "That boy is by far the fastest runner out of the group", meaning he is the fastest runner of the group.....
Oh my!!! this took like at least 20 minutes to grasp what the heck he was saying, it really did.

My S/O let me know that with how I word things, some times I put an extra word in the sentence, which changes the whole meaning--- OR I am just using the phrase wrong.

So Instead of saying "By Far From Perfect"-- I just need to say "Far From Perfect"...

I am sure some people I have talked to in the past, probably thought i was really cocky at first if they did not know me from other talks.

But, I must say This whole thing reminded me look up the word crude... the other day I told my S/O, some times I have a Crude Sense of Humor..... My S/O told me he had never heard that phrase- and he used the phrase, "That is a crude building"...... Again, I was doubtful but I looked up crude today- and we are both right ---

I used to say "everything is around and ready" as well..... Oh geez, no wonder people at work were like what the heck..... this was a saying that my mother always said- "Are you around?" it is where i got it from.... well I guess that shows what part of the back woods my roots come from huh?

I have gotten out of the habit of that these days though

sorry -- rambling Beauflow....

[unaluna]

As an oldster compared to many others on this site, or the internet in general, I see many times where people use the incorrect words in an old expression. Many times it's because the reason behind the expression doesn't even exist anymore, like usIng a horse and buggy for transportation (unless you're Amish!).

The main thing about writing, and that I struggle with too, is to use the least number of words possible to get your point across. Often in speaking we use more words but writing is different because it must be read later.