I. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a crucial point
▪
This was a crucial point in our relationship.
a departure point (= the place where you leave from )
▪
Luxor is one departure point for boat trips down the Nile.
a key issue/question/point
▪
The environment became a key issue during the election.
a matter/point/question of honour (= something you feel you must do because of your moral beliefs )
▪
To my mum, paying bills on time is a point of honour.
a one-shot/two-goal/three point etc lead (= a lead of a specific amount )
▪
Goals by Keane and Lennon gave Tottenham a two-goal lead.
a percentage point (= one percent )
▪
The party increased its share of the vote by almost 4 percentage points.
a point of disagreement (= a particular thing that people disagree about )
▪
A point of disagreement between the two parties concerns the future of nuclear power.
a pointed chin
▪
She had a narrow face and a pointed chin.
access point
action point
an entry point (= a place where people can enter a country )
▪
The 2,000 mile border is the main entry point into the country for illegal aliens.
an observation post/point (= a place from where you can observe something )
▪
The peak of the mountain was a natural location for an observation post.
argued the point (= discussed it )
▪
They argued the point for hours without reaching a conclusion.
assembly point (= a place where people go in a particular situation )
▪
an assembly point
boiling point
▪
Relations between the two countries have almost reached boiling point .
brownie points
▪
I’m not doing it just to get brownie points.
bullet point
can’t see the point of (= I do not understand the reason for )
▪
I can’t see the point of spending so much money on a car.
cardinal point
crisis point (= the point at which a problem becomes a crisis )
▪
Events were now reaching crisis point.
cut-off date/point/score etc (= the date etc when you stop doing something )
▪
The cut-off date for registration is July 2.
debatable point
▪
a debatable point
decimal point
Do you see the point (= do you understand what I’m trying to say )
▪
Do you see the point I’m making ?
finer points
▪
We stayed up discussing the finer points of Marxist theory.
focal point
▪
The pool is the focal point of the hotel.
freezing point
▪
Alcohol has a lower freezing point than water.
from a legal point of view
▪
It's a fascinating case, from a legal point of view.
from a political point of view
▪
From the political point of view, it was important that the country showed it was adhering to the treaty.
from a practical point of view
▪
Saving energy in your home is fairly easy from a practical point of view.
from a scientific/technical point of view
▪
This book was the first to study language from a scientific point of view.
from a security point of view
▪
The system is seriously flawed from a security point of view.
from an economic/financial/business point of view
▪
From a financial point of view, the concert was a disaster.
game point
get straight to the point
▪
I think I should get straight to the point .
grade point average
I take your point/point taken (= used to say that you accept someone’s opinion )
I take your point/point taken (= used to say that you accept someone’s opinion )
illustrate...point
▪
Let me give an example to illustrate the point .
jumping-off point
lead by ten points/two goals etc
▪
Nadal was leading by two sets.
lead to/point to a conclusion (= make you decide that something is true )
▪
All the data led to only one conclusion.
lose (sth) by 1 goal/10 votes/20 points etc
▪
The government lost by one vote.
▪
The Communist candidate lost by a whisker a very small amount .
low point
▪
The low point in my life was when I was hit by a drunk driver.
match point
melting point
minus points
▪
‘Any minus points ?’ ‘Well, the engine is rather noisy.’
nought point one/two/three etc (= 0.1, 0.2 etc )
penalty point
pick-up point
▪
The price includes travel from your local pick-up point in the UK to your hotel in Paris.
plus points
▪
Another of the Beach Club’s plus points is that it’s right in the middle of town.
point a camera at sb/sth
▪
A group of Japanese tourists were pointing their cameras at the cathedral.
point man
▪
the administration’s point man on health care
point of order
▪
One MP raised an objection on a point of order.
point of reference
point of sale
▪
Under the new law, cigarette advertising will only be allowed at the point of sale.
point the finger of blame at sb (= say that someone is responsible for something bad )
▪
I couldn’t believe it when they started pointing the finger of blame at me.
point
▪
I think that's a valid point.
pointing...gun
▪
Jake was pointing a gun at the door.
pointy/pointed
▪
The dog has short pointy ears.
power point
press...point
▪
He decided it was time to press his point home.
pressure point
▪
a pressure point for racial tension
prove your point
▪
To prove her point, Dr Hurdal showed her audience a scan of a patient's brain.
put a point to sb
▪
You should put that point to the Chancellor.
rallying point
▪
a rallying point for the struggle against apartheid
reach a point/stage
▪
I’ve reached the point in my life where I need a new challenge.
reached boiling point
▪
Relations between the two countries have almost reached boiling point .
reached saturation point
▪
The number of summer tourists in the area has reached saturation point .
rightly pointed out
▪
As you so rightly pointed out , things are getting worse.
saturation point
▪
The number of summer tourists in the area has reached saturation point .
sb's nerves are stretched (to breaking point) (= they feel very nervous or worried )
▪
Her nerves were stretched almost to breaking point as she waited.
score a goal/point/run etc
▪
He has scored 12 goals so far this season.
selling point
▪
Small classes are a selling point for private schools.
signposts pointing
▪
As yet, there are few signposts pointing to success.
source/area/point of contention
▪
The issue of hunting is a source of contention.
starting point
▪
The article provides a starting point for discussion.
sticking point
▪
North Korea’s refusal had long been a sticking point.
stray from the point
▪
This meeting is beginning to stray from the point .
stress a point
▪
This point needs to be stressed.
stretch a point (= allow a rule to be broken )
▪
We’ll stretch a point and let the baby travel free this time.
talking point
(the) breakeven point/level
▪
The firm should reach breakeven point after one year.
the essential point
▪
The essential point is that all children should have an equal opportunity to study.
the halfway stage/mark/point
▪
They’ve just reached the halfway stage of the project.
the points of the compass/compass points (= the marks that show you north, south, east etc )
▪
She was teaching the children the points of the compass.
the points of the compass/compass points (= the marks that show you north, south, east etc )
▪
She was teaching the children the points of the compass.
tipping point
to the point of obsession (= used to say that something has stopped being a normal interest and become an extreme one )
▪
She was protective of her children, to the point of obsession.
turning point
▪
Meeting her was the turning point in my life.
two goals down/three points down etc
▪
Swindon were six points down at one stage.
two goals up/three points up etc
▪
United were a goal up at half time.
vanishing point
vantage point
▪
From my vantage point on the hill, I could see the whole procession.
weak points (= your faults or the things you do not do well )
▪
Be honest about your weak points .
weak points
▪
There are some weak points in her argument.
win by 10 points/ten metres etc
▪
We won by 23 points.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
fine
▪
They're just the people to spot the finer points of ornithology, are they?
▪
The Puritans had no more interest in astronomy or physics than in the fine points of Catholic theology.
▪
Sources say most things work but hundreds of fine points have to be checked.
▪
Perhaps then they can take in the fine points the lessons of our own lives offer.
▪
Sometimes they were right, news crews rarely had the time or the inclination to pursue the finer points .
▪
However, such fine points of genealogical accuracy are never what matter to the family members who tell such stories.
▪
His elucidation of the finer points of betting is also excellent.
▪
At least he would understand the fine points of its design.
focal
▪
The effect of reinstatement would be dramatic, bringing back numerous fine buildings as focal points in the street scene.
▪
Eight lesbians who gather at a local bar are the focal point of this comedy, directed by Marita Giovani.
▪
The municipal gallery, though, likely will become the focal point for local artists from now on.
▪
A focal point is the inviting, good-sized pool where you can cool off from the heat of the sun.
▪
Neither was society the focal point of the Orphic mysteries.
▪
It is the focal point of a permanent campaign to give independence through personal transport to as many people as possible.
high
▪
That is just the intensification, the high point of an ongoing process.
▪
Despite this tragedy, she graduated with the second highest grade point average in her high school.
▪
Continued from page 6 Olympia is also the high point for twenty of our leading young riders.
▪
His engagement to Nora Cushing had been the high point of her life.
▪
Collectively, they were worth over £2.8 billion at their high point .
▪
When your body temperature reaches its highest point , your inner clock reads 12: 00 biological time.
▪
The number fell from the high point of 516 in 1985 to 409 in 1986.
▪
Even if the infectivity is as high as point nine nine, any pocket of infection will die out quite fast.
important
▪
The prime minister: My hon. Friend has put his finger on an important point .
▪
In the early stages, the baby's mouth is an important point of contact with the world.
▪
The important point is to adopt a system and then stick to it, applying it consistently.
▪
An important point is that these large-scale convection cells fit in with the dimensions of plates.
▪
The important point to note as you follow my progress is just how easy it is and how flexible.
▪
But the important point about this manoeuvring is how essentially low-key it was.
▪
The reality was that provincial reformers generally took the ideological initiative away from London on this important point .
key
▪
Combinations of wool and nylon are usual, with loop-stitching at key points .
▪
One solution is for Dorman Oil to summarize key points in employee training sessions that incorporate multimedia and other technologies.
▪
The main key points are the patient's head, shoulder girdle, spine and pelvis.
▪
And she found herself at key points in her relationship yelling at her financially ambitious partner because they had such different aspirations.
▪
What are the key points in the extract?
▪
Even within areas of consensus, there are key points of roiling partisan controversy.
▪
Are you a fast reader with the ability to retain the key points ?
▪
The key point of contention is how much change is prudent in the military, and how rapid that change should be.
low
▪
And the lowest of low points was the use of five captains in seven Tests in 1988-89.
▪
From that low point , Mitterrand started his long climb to power.
▪
In particular, the high and low points on the line should be noted and investigated for possible sighting markers.
▪
From this low point , things got worse.
▪
In large organizations, the number of roadblocks and low points can seem infinite, particularly when something new is being tried.
▪
The index is now at its lowest point since June, when it was a negative 17. 4.
▪
The market is likely to continue drifting down and may reach a low point on Friday.
▪
The lowest point came a year ago, when the staff graduated and the magazine disappeared.
main
▪
The main points for debate could then be circulated to panel members and the course team before the event.
▪
Reports and proposals of 2-5 pages: List the main points for the entire document.
▪
However, the main point of interest is the unintended learning outcomes of such questions as these.
▪
The main point is that we can do nothing to change matters.
▪
The main point of contention now is not whether, but how long a scaled-down force should remain.
▪
Perhaps such arguments are beside the main point , which is to cover the natural monopoly case.
▪
Although we can look at expenditure patterns in a number of different ways three main points are evident.
strong
▪
And as was evident early on in the match, she relied on her strong points to get into a rhythm.
▪
One additional device is a spectrometer to study the infrared spectra of strong point sources.
▪
Very generous pupil - teacher ratios is a feature that prep schools use as a strong selling point to parents.
▪
For one thing, woodwork was not his strong point .
▪
Nearly every organization requires accounts or finance clerks, so if mathematics is your strong point it is something to think about.
▪
A short summary of what you regard as your strong points makes an excellent final paragraph to distinguish you from other candidates.
▪
Animation Shop isn't this package's strong point and Photoshop's ImageReady application is a whole lot more powerful.
▪
On balance, however, the predator/prey theory of dinosaur endothermy does seem to be one of Bakker's stronger points .
turning
▪
It proved a turning point in the war leading to Lincoln emancipation proclamation liberating the slaves.
▪
At every turning point they put a greater distance between each other.
▪
These turning points apart, he was also an addictive non-political speaker.
▪
Crises often mark turning points in overall patterns of policy development, because the consequences of alternative decisions can be momentous.
▪
For Brailsford, who had a tendency to overstate his case, this marked a decisive turning point in world history.
▪
As with many other issues, the 1940s marked a turning point in food production.
▪
The battle was a turning point in Northumbrian fortunes.
whole
▪
The whole point of the legal process is to get a decisive determination which will end the dispute in question.
▪
The round slices were much easier to use in a toaster, which was the whole point of the exercise.
▪
Now the whole point of this raid is speed.
▪
His real name is Markham-or, as Blue sounds it out to himself, mark him-and that is the whole point .
▪
The whole point of radio communications is the very versatility and freedom associated with its use.
▪
I mean, that was, in a way, the whole point .
▪
The whole point about chaos is that it roars down on you when you least expect it, like a motorcycle messenger.
▪
As if the whole point of the Salomon system were simply to see who wilted under the pressure and who did not.
■ NOUN
basis
▪
The yield on the five-year 5. 875 percent note rose 7 basis points to 4. 64 percent.
▪
The yield on the two-year gilt fell 2 basis points to 6. 30 percent.
▪
The notes, which are noncallable for one year, were priced to yield 69 basis points above comparable Treasurys.
▪
The bonds will be priced to yield 75 basis points above the 7 percent gilt due 2001.
▪
The bonds, which are noncallable for three months, were priced at a spread of 59 basis points above Treasurys.
percentage
▪
Finally, in the election itself Reagan led Carter by ten percentage points .
▪
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points .
▪
Sept. 14: The Bundesbank cuts the Lombard rate by 0.25 percentage points and the discount rate by 0.5 percentage points.
▪
Polls show his lead over Dole ranging from 5 to 20 percentage points .
▪
In relation to the rest of the country, however, the share of the top six cities fell by 2.5 percentage points .
▪
In January, polls showed Dole was leading his nearest rival by 23 percentage points .
▪
Polls show Peres leading by about 5 percentage points .
power
▪
Carrying spare batteries could be a cheaper option to fast charging and all chargers rely on a power point anyway.
▪
Radiator. Power point . access to insulated roof space with light.
▪
But it is not to this distinction that the theory of the separation of powers points .
▪
Copper had to then come out of his box to be near to a power point .
▪
Secondary double glazed windows with lovely open outlook over the golf course. power points .
▪
Tiled feature fireplace. Power points .
▪
Vinyl clad floor. Power points .
▪
Beware of anything that looks like a do-it-yourself job - crooked power points , for example.
reference
▪
It is equally correct and sometimes more useful to view demand from the reference point of quantity.
▪
This was done by using the pylorus and the anatomical antrum-corpus boundary as reference points .
▪
I concentrated on the reference points and on keeping one or two rotor diameters away from the other ship.
▪
But he remained a constant reference point among those concerned about the course the nation was taking.
▪
They establish reference points and reference lines.
▪
We are left with a play on signs which has no ultimate reference point other than the commodity.
▪
This team has a reference point .
starting
▪
The starting point is those aims which depend heavily on the particular contribution of DHAs.
▪
This requires a re-examination of such chairs as please my eye and try to come with a starting point .
▪
The truth was somewhere at the end of the line and the first facts were a kind of starting point .
▪
For obvious reasons she has chosen Stamford Hill as her starting point .
▪
Adorno offers one starting point for such a history.
▪
It was a fairly preposterous starting point , but there was nothing else to go on.
▪
That is the starting point for existentialism.
▪
The analogy has its limitations, but is a valuable starting point .
vantage
▪
She took refuge behind an angel's wings and, from this vantage point , spied upon her family.
▪
And I know, from the sobering vantage point of midlife, that she will never recover.
▪
Skarsnik, watching from his vantage point on the mountain slopes, saw his army waver.
▪
What from the harbor looks solemn takes on a carnivalesque air when seen from a closer vantage point .
▪
Our vantage point provided a proper perspective of the immense scale of this Himalayan giant.
▪
He painted the gorge; he painted the rapids; he painted the Whirlpool from every vantage point .
▪
From my second-floor vantage point I could see my classmates as they tumbled out into the quad playing catch with my shoes.
▪
From your current vantage point , you are well positioned to see how alcohol can get at these pain fibers.
■ VERB
average
▪
Last year, Harris averaged 16 points in 31 starts after Jackson was lost for the season.
▪
In 1995-96, he averaged seven points over 51 games, missing 23 games with a sprained ankle.
▪
Davis averaged 14. 2 points and 9. 5 rebounds as a senior and made 55 percent of his shots.
▪
Last year, he averaged 14. 2 points in March and 9. 4 the rest of the year.
▪
The strongest choice appeared to be Ceballos, averaging 23. 4 points and 7. 3 rebounds per game.
▪
He has played in only 53 games this season and is averaging 9. 8 points and 3. 2 rebounds.
▪
The former Temple star averaged 14 points and nearly 4 rebounds a game while leading the club with 2. 5 steals.
▪
He was averaging 6. 4 points per game and his 30 of 83 3-pointers ranked second on the team.
close
▪
Sydney: Continued activity in the banking sector helped the All Ordinaries index to close 7.4 points higher at 1,743.4.
▪
The benchmark 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average closed the session 201.88 points down, or 1.51 percent, at 12,681.66.
▪
But dealers' nerves soon failed and the index fell back to close 9.5 points lower at 2719.7.
▪
The 225-share Nikkei index, meanwhile, continued its recent slide, closing down 122 points at 17, 358. 16.
▪
The Footsie closed just 2.3 points higher at 2,840.0.
▪
It closed 30.5 points lower at 2,247.0.
▪
It closed 30.5 points down at 2,281.6, its lowest level for ten weeks.
▪
Finally, in transition to the next chapter, we close with an awkward point about truth.
drop
▪
One of the fastest ways to list is simply to drop your points on the page, numbering as you go.
▪
After 10 days and three predictable victories they were promoted, thanks to Woking dropping a point .
▪
For every day I stayed in Rochester, my intelligence quotient dropped another ten points .
▪
The Conservatives are down one point to 34 %, and the Liberal Democrats have dropped three points to 13 %.
▪
If the trough is 25 percent below that, the Dow will drop 1, 721 points .
▪
The party's share of vote was squeezed, dropping five points from 1987 to 18 percent.
▪
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 67. 55 points to 5130. 13 yesterday.
illustrate
▪
Andy Marsh's Zambezi article illustrates this point well.
▪
Both Kemp and Gore referred to real life people to illustrate their points .
▪
Significantly, your photograph alongside Coun Williams' letter, illustrates this point more eloquently than words.
▪
To illustrate the point , I call it the Aeroflot Syndrome.
▪
A few examples will suffice to illustrate the point .
▪
The story may have been to illustrate her point .
▪
The development of the gut illustrates the point .
▪
The diagram below illustrates this point .
make
▪
A recent report by borough councillor and community health council chairwoman Eleanor Young made the point clearly.
▪
We have referred to Piaget to make or reinforce a point about teaching.
▪
It is perhaps important to redress the rather gloomy tone which has crept into this section, by making two points .
▪
Today the manager of personnel makes a point of sitting next to his old friend on the daily commuter train.
▪
It could make that the central point of its election manifesto if it is so profoundly excited by it.
▪
He cited their new-found authority to do their own work scheduling to make his point .
▪
Mr. Redwood My hon. Friend makes his point extremely well.
▪
She said she always made a point to stay above the fray and concentrate on her work.
miss
▪
Alas, the critics were liable to miss the point or deliberately find fault with it.
▪
We had missed the release point because of the cloud and would have to try again.
▪
Both these reactions miss the point .
▪
And so on and so on, the critiques having merit but missing the point .
▪
Yet to focus on the facts is to miss the point .
▪
The sad fact is that we are amazingly persistent at missing the point .
▪
This, however, rather missed the point , since even cheap fares serve little purpose if there are no trains.
▪
But they were missing the entire point .
prove
▪
It proved a turning point in the war leading to Lincoln emancipation proclamation liberating the slaves.
▪
So I think I proved my point .
▪
He does not try to prove points one way or the other, but he does ask meaningful and relevant questions.
▪
If this is the case, you should be prepared to prove your point and present a cost-effective alternative.
▪
A mixture of consultation and internal management control might well prove a better starting point .
▪
We know of no surveys that either prove or disprove this point .
▪
The event was to prove the turning point of the battle.
▪
The many examples of that provided in these pages help to prove the point .
reach
▪
We may reach a point where the public costs of city life have to be greater than the private.
▪
Few sites that I visited had reached a point where they clearly would survive if these extra start-up funds disappeared.
▪
Can they reach point B, thereby preserving their privileged position as insiders?
▪
Many organizations may never reach this point , and certainly no date can be fixed in its regard.
▪
Now 25, Jane does not pretend to have reached the point where she is back enjoying her golf.
▪
This convinced him he had to reach the point where there was no turning back.
▪
But before we reached that point , we might have other problems.
▪
Significant excretion of solute-free water can not occur unless significant amounts of solute and water reach this point .
score
▪
He scored just 10 points but had only two assists, being ineffective as a shooter and playmaker.
▪
Duncan fouled out with 1: 51 left after scoring eight points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
▪
The Lakers shot 53 percent, scored 29 points off turnovers and took an embarrassingly easy 124-107 decision.
▪
Some pundits argued that he was simply trying to score points against the outgoing government.
▪
At halftime, B has scored thirteen points and is 100 per-cent from the floor.
▪
He had scored four points until he made successive three-point baskets late in the game.
▪
Payton scored six straight points as Seattle overcame a 99-93 deficit.
start
▪
Training from starting points which are different towards an end which is uniform is not a unique aspect of voluntary partnership.
▪
The paradox was that Ryan's starting point was no different from that of coaches in the prosperous days of the Seventies.
▪
These recipes are simply a starting point and provide the fundamentals.
▪
So the pattern will start at the right point cam with stitch number 18 of the pattern.
▪
Mason, focused on convincing potential business users to consider Explorer as a starting point for connecting to the Internet.
▪
Should I pay for the starting point ?
▪
A monistic starting point for the cosmos requires an explanation to account for the variety and multiplicity in the cosmos.
turn
▪
Supreme Court, was a turning point for Mrs Graham and the newspaper.
▪
The question is whether it is a turning point and the down-slide of Peres.
▪
It was to be something of a turning point .
▪
It was a historic turning point .
▪
The year 1949 was his turning point .
▪
And both became the turning points of the games.
▪
Denis Healey's acceptance of International Monetary Fund-imposed cuts in public expenditure in 1976 was the turning point .
▪
Still turning this last point over in his mind, Blue decides to buy the book.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(that's a) good idea/point/question
a moot point/question
▪
It's a moot point whether this is censorship.
▪
It is a moot point whether hierarchies exist outside our own thought processes.
▪
Quite how long Lord Young was proposing to delay publication is a moot point.
▪
This, of course, is a moot point.
▪
When you go to a place called Texas Bone, deciding what to order becomes a moot point.
▪
Whether the law should be this is a moot point.
▪
Whether they have appeared as part of the C. and A.G.'s audit is a moot point.
▪
Whether this input has made a significant impact on the pattern of activity is a moot point.
a pointed question/look/remark
▪
As he left the office he locked it behind him, with a pointed look at Bob.
be beside the point
▪
It's unrealistic, but that's beside the point - it's just good entertainment.
▪
But the pedigree of this idea is beside the point.
▪
But to criticize Mr Hall's production as an exercise in fuddy-duddy Shakespeare is beside the point.
▪
He may manufacture these life units as required and he may simply have a given supply: that is beside the point.
▪
She had come to no harm, but that was beside the point.
▪
This semantic distinction is beside the point; the special admissions program is undeniably a classification based on race and ethnic back-ground.
▪
What the outcome of seeing him might be is beside the point.
be the trigger (point) (for sth)
▪
All we had to experience was the trigger and off we went into a state of fear.
▪
And the loss of the ally may be the trigger which will start chain fission.
▪
Could either or both factors be the trigger ?
▪
I had provided the direction in my lecture, and Our discussion was the trigger .
▪
That was the trigger that started the weeping.
▪
The new stand was the trigger for the layout.
▪
Your saying the work is urgent is the trigger , the result is lateness.
belabour the point
▪
There is no need to belabour the point here.
concede a goal/point/penalty
▪
Barthez escaped with a yellow card despite clearly kicking Ian Harte to concede a penalty.
▪
But as Saracens consistently conceded penalties, Humphreys accepted the points on offer.
▪
Chiddingfold should have taken the lead after five minutes when Rob Madgwick conceded a penalty for a trip.
▪
Hitchcock has yet to concede a goal since stepping in for Dave Beasant.
▪
Liverpool can not afford to concede a goal tonight-and James has yet to keep a clean sheet.
drop a point
▪
After 10 days and three predictable victories they were promoted, thanks to Woking dropping a point.
▪
But if they drop points, Leicester City or Derby County could triumph in a nail-biting finish.
get/score/earn Brownie points
get/win/score brownie points
high point
▪
As the pedal is pressed downward from its highest point, it also moves forward.
▪
At the top of the theater steps, the highest point, all four forms appear.
▪
Christmas and New Year have long been the high point for visitor and Madeiran alike.
▪
His engagement to Nora Cushing had been the high point of her life.
▪
Political repression and racial discrimination were at a high point.
▪
That is just the intensification, the high point of an ongoing process.
▪
They were at the highest point for twenty li about.
▪
We are now reaching the high point of the truly happy life.
keep to the point/subject etc
▪
Come straight to the point and keep to the point are the golden rules of letter writing.
▪
De Quincey was no master of keeping to the point.
▪
Nothing is more irritating than people who do not keep to the point and talk for too long.
labour the point
▪
I understand what you're saying -- there's no need to labour the point.
▪
Enough has been said, and there is no need to labour the point.
▪
United were too liberal with their marking and Lee Clark laboured the point. 7 minutes later, they took overall control.
miss the point
▪
He's so caught up in the rules that he's missing the point of the game, which is just to have fun.
▪
I soon realised that he had completely missed the point.
▪
You're both missing the point, which is to get more people to use public transportation.
▪
Alas, the critics were liable to miss the point or deliberately find fault with it.
▪
As usual, the Treasury misses the point entirely.
▪
Both these reactions miss the point.
▪
But that completely misses the point about the way the academic mind works.
▪
It's always easier for some one else to see where you've missed the point.
▪
It should be obvious, however, that he is here simply missing the point of theism.
▪
More importantly, it misses the point.
▪
She paused at the door so I would not miss the point.
not to put too fine a point on it
▪
Everyone there - not to put too fine a point on it - was crazy.
▪
The dishes we tried tasted, not to put too fine a point on it, like gasoline.
point of contact
▪
It's difficult to find a point of contact between theory and practice.
▪
The new service center will serve as the single point of contact for general customer inquiries.
▪
I have spoken of the point of contact but with the proper grip it will be much easier.
▪
If you bought mail order, then the first point of contact is the software house or importer concerned.
▪
In the early stages, the baby's mouth is an important point of contact with the world.
▪
It also reduced friction at the point of contact .
▪
The parties are no longer the chief point of contact between the electorate and the politicians.
▪
These are the solid points of contact that they keep with the rock, which enable them to move safely.
▪
This chapter explores the points of contact between the theory of social representations and the rhetorical approach.
▪
Your family doctor is always your first point of contact .
prove a point
▪
I'm not going to run the marathon just to prove a point. I know I could do it if I wanted to.
▪
As others may have different theories a genuine desire to prove a point of view leads to some lively debate.
▪
But the Razor wanted to prove a point and demanded a return.
▪
He does not try to prove points one way or the other, but he does ask meaningful and relevant questions.
▪
Is Wilko trying to prove a point or does he just want rid of Rocky???
▪
That proves a point, doesn't it?
▪
That he didn't seemed to prove a point.
▪
They rose to the bait and decided they needed to prove a point, putting together their nine-piece Bootsy Collins-featuring live band.
▪
To prove a point I smashed a piece open and applied the magnets.
push the point
▪
Even she could not push the point any farther.
▪
If the customer pushes the point, he fights back.
▪
She decided not to push the point any further, could see he had switched off.
reference point
▪
Fitzgerald's case will be the reference point for lawyers in tomorrow's trial.
▪
The time he spent in prison serves as a point of reference for Bowden - the lessons are worth remembering.
▪
Align to line up typeset or other graphic material as specified, using a base or vertical line as the reference point.
▪
But he remained a constant reference point among those concerned about the course the nation was taking.
▪
I concentrated on the reference points and on keeping one or two rotor diameters away from the other ship.
▪
It is equally correct and sometimes more useful to view demand from the reference point of quantity.
▪
It was a reference point without which the tragedy could not be expressed.
▪
They establish reference points and reference lines.
▪
This team has a reference point.
▪
We are left with a play on signs which has no ultimate reference point other than the commodity.
score points
▪
Even when scoring points at an astonishing pace, no opponent has been knocked out of a game.
▪
How well she could keep control and use words and manipulate their meanings and score points.
▪
National parks is a gold mine for scoring points with constituents, while anything in Commerce is a gold mine, period.
▪
Of course, PeÜek's collection automatically scores points over the competition by virtue of its uniqueness.
▪
People didn't try and score points off each other - contributions were acknowledged and applauded, rather than criticized or tested to destruction.
▪
Reagan had already scored points by crossing the stage before the debate to shake hands with the startled Carter.
▪
When he is good, like he was against Detroit, their offense can score points.
▪
When that gap is found, the attacker exploits it by unleashing a rapid barrage of kicks and punches to score points.
sore point/spot/subject (with sb)
▪
And now she had pierced her again in this sore spot.
▪
Finally, there are plans to provide custodians a sore point to enable the churches to open for two hours a day.
▪
Graduate entry with resultant opportunities for promotion was then - as now - an especially sore point.
▪
It is still a sore point with both grandparents that neither Alice nor Henry have been baptized.
▪
The potential restriction of physician income is a major sore point.
▪
This is a sore spot with me.
▪
Tom gently washed Willie's body again and smoothed witch-hazel on to the sore spots.
stick to the point/subject/facts
▪
"Please stick to the facts," said the judge.
▪
But caution is required where miracles come into play; let us stick to the facts.
▪
Try to stick to the subject of the row rather than bringing up 25 years' worth of misdemeanours.
the whole point (of sth)
▪
The whole point of coming here was to visit the cathedral.
▪
As the sperm penetrates the egg it obviously adds more genetic material, which of course is the whole point.
▪
His real name is Markham-or, as Blue sounds it out to himself, mark him-and that is the whole point.
▪
I mean, that was, in a way, the whole point.
▪
Not to know that is to be ignorant of the whole point of the affirmation.
▪
Since the whole point of belief is to be true, logical inconsistency in belief defeats the aim of belief.
▪
That, remember, is the whole point of female choosiness at leks.
▪
Well, that was the whole point.
two points/five seconds etc adrift (of sb)
weak points/spots
▪
Are you naturally more cautious, preferring to test the strength of your enemy before striking at his weak points?
▪
He had not dealt with the bishop's weak points nor, according to Hooker, had he carried the audience with him.
▪
However, in most of these, effusive approval is showered upon her, and her weak points are minimized.
▪
Positive interpretation of weaknesses Be honest about assessing your weak points as well.
▪
Scattered in pursuit, they provided perfect weak points for our counterattack.
▪
That is why molecular studies designed to find the weak points in the viral attack must continue, Trono said.
▪
We examined our weak points, and turned them into strengths.
▪
What are his strong and weak points?
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
"I'll come straight to the point ," said the doctor. "I think you are suffering from depression."
▪
a pencil point
▪
Almost everything has been agreed. There is just one final point that needs to be settled.
▪
Ben carved his name in the tree trunk, using the point of his knife.
▪
By mixing metals it is possible to make alloys which are tougher and have a lower melting point than the individual metals.
▪
Damon Hill leads the Formula 1 Championship, with 58 points from 6 races.
▪
Exactly what point are you trying to make, Nick?
▪
His plan has both good and bad points.
▪
I can't see the point of travelling all that way and then only staying for one day.
▪
In darts, you get 50 points for hitting the bullseye.
▪
In his speech, Marks made the point that far more people died from smoking tobacco than from taking drugs.
▪
It has small white flowers, and leaves that taper to a sharp point .
▪
Line A crosses line B at point C.
▪
Make a list of the main points in the article.
▪
Michael's point about training is an interesting one.
▪
one point nine percent
▪
Reeves scored 23 points for Arizona.
▪
Soon they came to a point where the road divided.
▪
Steve Jones is 15 points ahead.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Cicely makes six points, grabs four rebounds and finally seems to know what plays are being run.
▪
Each point in the ratio meant 100, 000 tons of capital ships, or the equivalent of about three battleships.
▪
From this point on, to stop short will be difficult and frustrating.
▪
How it got to this point is there was an investigation of a staff member abusing a child.
▪
In other words, an increase in expected inflation of 5 percentage points shifts the Phillips curve upwards by 5 percentage points.
▪
The market place was the growing point of most towns, and they have taken their shape around it.
▪
They are now 0-6 in games decided by six points or fewer.
▪
This survey data is cross-section data taken from a sample of households at a particular point in time.
II. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
also
▪
They also point out that the excessive amounts of sugar in some brands could also be harmful to older babies' teeth.
▪
But they also point to the benefits of meaningful work in building self-esteem.
▪
It also points out that Corus would not have to intend this outcome for there to be an action under the treaty.
▪
They also point to cost savings for employers and patients alike.
▪
Coverage of the Henan scandal also points the finger at inaction by the provincial authorities.
▪
She also points to a 1989-90 grand jury report that alleged widespread police misconduct while Kolender was chief.
▪
Hicks also points out that mis-spelt names may account for 20-50% of all errors in citations.
▪
As they state, Piven and Cloward also point out the frequently racist aspects of states' policies toward the poor.
out
▪
Guide writers have a traditional obligation to honour the historical record, alongside their duty to point out present circumstances.
▪
The speaker pointed out , quite correctly, that this concept includes two separate types of therapy.
▪
After defence lawyers pointed out the flats had not yet been built, they changed to an unspecified date in 1993.
▪
Furthermore, the agent pointed out , he was not dead.
▪
Many do not even see the business benefits of their ideas until these are pointed out to them.
▪
Should it be pointed out all three winners were males?
▪
It should be pointed out that despite increasing income concentration, there has been a general improvement in the quality of life.
▪
But please remember what Doctor Barton has pointed out - you are not being judged twice for the same crime.
straight
▪
He took an involuntary pace forward and raised the shotgun to point straight at Angel One's face.
▪
Her doll sits stiffly, pointed straight ahead at the fixtures that emerge from the wall.
▪
Then the rod-man screamed, arm pointing straight ahead at the surf.
▪
It was pointing straight at him now.
▪
I purchased a dedicated Pentax flashgun with an adjustable flash head which could be adjusted to point straight ahead or angled upwards.
▪
He is pointing straight at William, who has his hand up.
▪
Now keep it there and bend your body gradually sideways to the right, keeping your right arm pointing straight down.
▪
Its barrel was pointing straight at her.
to
▪
But the new-look candidates he pointed to are virtual unknowns.
▪
For we concentrated entirely on resources internal to the individual rule-follower, on things which a solipsist could point to.
▪
Is it possible, however, to point to even earlier examples of boundaries?
▪
A final qualification is that the issues we are pointing to here are thoroughly debatable.
▪
The first thing I would point to is that our training costs for last year averaged out at £5,100 per trainee.
▪
Why, that must be where the signpost wass pointing to !
▪
What could we point to if some one chose the latter continuation, to show that he was wrong?
▪
It might also point to more appropriate ways of re-classifying subject areas so that the perspectives of both genders are represented.
■ NOUN
basis
▪
Reoffered at 99. 5 to yield 485 basis points above the 7. 125 % Bund due 2003.
▪
Two-year note yields tumbled 12 basis points to 5. 04, the lowest since March 1994.
▪
August 1998 bonds rose 5 basis points to 7. 47 percent.
▪
Reoffered at 99. 845 to yield a spread at the launch of three basis points above U. S. Treasurys.
▪
The spread between the two-year and 10-year gilt was 133 basis points , unchanged from yesterday.
▪
Mortgageto-Treasury spreads were seen tightening, but not by much more than a couple basis points .
▪
Yields a spread of 34 basis points above the 10-year Treasury note.
▪
The benchmark 5-year sterling swap spread was unchanged at 34 basis points .
direction
▪
With a certain amount of ingenuity she can even use the balloon to steer herself by pointing it in various directions .
▪
He raised his arm and pointed in no particular direction .
▪
Apparently, one out of every 16 signposts at crossroads in the region are pointing in the wrong direction .
▪
The main point: determine a direction in your list and follow it.
▪
The same ideas apply in digraphs, except that all the edges must point in the same direction .
▪
The circle is actually a large microwave tower with nine cones pointing in five directions .
▪
However, he still managed to keep the weapon pointing loosely in his direction .
▪
The old woman points south in the direction of the big house.
fact
▪
One thing that must be pointed out is the fact that these remarks, however romantic-sounding, are all self-centred.
▪
Other experts point to the fact that even specialists are losing jobs.
▪
I pointed to the fact that I was younger than when he took over.
▪
Manchester executives are not shy about pointing out that fact .
▪
Rather it points to the fact that there has been a subtle change in the composition of the teaching force.
▪
I can summarize the preceding by pointing to the fact that there is actually a dual metaphor being employed.
▪
All the evidence would seem to point to the fact that this is the case.
finger
▪
Squeezing To boost circulation in the thighs and calves, place your hands on the skin, fingers pointing away from you.
▪
Her outstretched finger pointed to the window behind Dove.
▪
Now the Collector's finger was pointing at other objects, including even those belonging to himself.
▪
Because now the finger was pointed at managers: everyone knew if their office had a high rate.
▪
With your fingers pointing downwards, gently pull each hand alternately straight up from the floor or table.
▪
Dark fingers pointed at his wedding ring.
▪
Bridget looked at where the small pink finger was pointing , she could see nothing.
▪
Pointing, and tapping the button with the finger they were pointing with.
gun
▪
They looked at the passports and then started to walk down the aisle, pointing their guns at the passengers.
▪
Deering, whom Warren Cokley knew, entered pointing a gun at him.
▪
He snapped off a shot, hardly even bothering to point the gun before he squeezed the trigger.
▪
If Jack let his men point a gun at his own club, what other club could be safe?
▪
Two men in their late teens or early twenties came into the office and pointed their guns at the cashiers face.
▪
I turned around and saw a man pointing a gun at me.
▪
Facing that wall was a picture of a huge hand pointing a gun directly at you.
▪
I can close my eyes and point the gun and hit whatever it is.
percentage
▪
The gender gap is the difference between these two margins: 16 percentage points .
▪
Today, the prime rate is 2. 83 percentage points higher than the yield on a 10-year government note.
▪
The poll, conducted by telephone Jan. 2-7, has a margin of error of 5. 5 percentage points .
▪
It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3. 5 percentage points .
▪
The finding carries a margin of error of 3. 5 percentage points .
▪
So the female preference for Clinton was 5 percentage points higher than the male preference.
▪
It would also raise the payroll tax 1. 52 percentage points .
▪
By fifth grade, the difference had grown to 10. 8 percentage points .
way
▪
It points the way to new directions for the late 1980s and 1990s.
▪
The stark resonance of this solo piano album pointed the way .
▪
Here, we can but point the way to the reader.
▪
Suman Fernando points the way to a view of mental health that would be worthy of our rich and diverse world.
▪
But without critics to point the way , that money might as well be tossed into the wind.
▪
This may point the way in regard to the original problem.
▪
Everything seemed to point that way .
■ VERB
score
▪
Isaac Hawkins and Julius Page scored 10 points each.
▪
Except for the time I scored 84 points in a backyard basketball game.
▪
The Matadors scored the first five points of the match and won the first game without much drama.
▪
The only starter to emerge with a decent game was rookie Brent Barry, who scored a career-high 22 points .
▪
I like scoring the quiet points .
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(that's a) good idea/point/question
a moot point/question
▪
It's a moot point whether this is censorship.
▪
It is a moot point whether hierarchies exist outside our own thought processes.
▪
Quite how long Lord Young was proposing to delay publication is a moot point.
▪
This, of course, is a moot point.
▪
When you go to a place called Texas Bone, deciding what to order becomes a moot point.
▪
Whether the law should be this is a moot point.
▪
Whether they have appeared as part of the C. and A.G.'s audit is a moot point.
▪
Whether this input has made a significant impact on the pattern of activity is a moot point.
a pointed question/look/remark
▪
As he left the office he locked it behind him, with a pointed look at Bob.
be beside the point
▪
It's unrealistic, but that's beside the point - it's just good entertainment.
▪
But the pedigree of this idea is beside the point.
▪
But to criticize Mr Hall's production as an exercise in fuddy-duddy Shakespeare is beside the point.
▪
He may manufacture these life units as required and he may simply have a given supply: that is beside the point.
▪
She had come to no harm, but that was beside the point.
▪
This semantic distinction is beside the point; the special admissions program is undeniably a classification based on race and ethnic back-ground.
▪
What the outcome of seeing him might be is beside the point.
be the trigger (point) (for sth)
▪
All we had to experience was the trigger and off we went into a state of fear.
▪
And the loss of the ally may be the trigger which will start chain fission.
▪
Could either or both factors be the trigger ?
▪
I had provided the direction in my lecture, and Our discussion was the trigger .
▪
That was the trigger that started the weeping.
▪
The new stand was the trigger for the layout.
▪
Your saying the work is urgent is the trigger , the result is lateness.
get/score/earn Brownie points
get/win/score brownie points
high point
▪
As the pedal is pressed downward from its highest point, it also moves forward.
▪
At the top of the theater steps, the highest point, all four forms appear.
▪
Christmas and New Year have long been the high point for visitor and Madeiran alike.
▪
His engagement to Nora Cushing had been the high point of her life.
▪
Political repression and racial discrimination were at a high point.
▪
That is just the intensification, the high point of an ongoing process.
▪
They were at the highest point for twenty li about.
▪
We are now reaching the high point of the truly happy life.
not to put too fine a point on it
▪
Everyone there - not to put too fine a point on it - was crazy.
▪
The dishes we tried tasted, not to put too fine a point on it, like gasoline.
point of contact
▪
It's difficult to find a point of contact between theory and practice.
▪
The new service center will serve as the single point of contact for general customer inquiries.
▪
I have spoken of the point of contact but with the proper grip it will be much easier.
▪
If you bought mail order, then the first point of contact is the software house or importer concerned.
▪
In the early stages, the baby's mouth is an important point of contact with the world.
▪
It also reduced friction at the point of contact .
▪
The parties are no longer the chief point of contact between the electorate and the politicians.
▪
These are the solid points of contact that they keep with the rock, which enable them to move safely.
▪
This chapter explores the points of contact between the theory of social representations and the rhetorical approach.
▪
Your family doctor is always your first point of contact .
reference point
▪
Fitzgerald's case will be the reference point for lawyers in tomorrow's trial.
▪
The time he spent in prison serves as a point of reference for Bowden - the lessons are worth remembering.
▪
Align to line up typeset or other graphic material as specified, using a base or vertical line as the reference point.
▪
But he remained a constant reference point among those concerned about the course the nation was taking.
▪
I concentrated on the reference points and on keeping one or two rotor diameters away from the other ship.
▪
It is equally correct and sometimes more useful to view demand from the reference point of quantity.
▪
It was a reference point without which the tragedy could not be expressed.
▪
They establish reference points and reference lines.
▪
This team has a reference point.
▪
We are left with a play on signs which has no ultimate reference point other than the commodity.
sore point/spot/subject (with sb)
▪
And now she had pierced her again in this sore spot.
▪
Finally, there are plans to provide custodians a sore point to enable the churches to open for two hours a day.
▪
Graduate entry with resultant opportunities for promotion was then - as now - an especially sore point.
▪
It is still a sore point with both grandparents that neither Alice nor Henry have been baptized.
▪
The potential restriction of physician income is a major sore point.
▪
This is a sore spot with me.
▪
Tom gently washed Willie's body again and smoothed witch-hazel on to the sore spots.
the whole point (of sth)
▪
The whole point of coming here was to visit the cathedral.
▪
As the sperm penetrates the egg it obviously adds more genetic material, which of course is the whole point.
▪
His real name is Markham-or, as Blue sounds it out to himself, mark him-and that is the whole point.
▪
I mean, that was, in a way, the whole point.
▪
Not to know that is to be ignorant of the whole point of the affirmation.
▪
Since the whole point of belief is to be true, logical inconsistency in belief defeats the aim of belief.
▪
That, remember, is the whole point of female choosiness at leks.
▪
Well, that was the whole point.
two points/five seconds etc adrift (of sb)
weak points/spots
▪
Are you naturally more cautious, preferring to test the strength of your enemy before striking at his weak points?
▪
He had not dealt with the bishop's weak points nor, according to Hooker, had he carried the audience with him.
▪
However, in most of these, effusive approval is showered upon her, and her weak points are minimized.
▪
Positive interpretation of weaknesses Be honest about assessing your weak points as well.
▪
Scattered in pursuit, they provided perfect weak points for our counterattack.
▪
That is why molecular studies designed to find the weak points in the viral attack must continue, Trono said.
▪
We examined our weak points, and turned them into strengths.
▪
What are his strong and weak points?
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
"Look,'' she said, pointing at a vase in a shop window.
▪
"That's Margo's bouquet, on the table.'' Mother pointed to a massive bunch of spring flowers.
▪
A handmade sign for the party pointed down a dirt road.
▪
Babies learn to point before they learn to talk.
▪
Children are taught that it's rude to point .
▪
Could you point me in the right direction?
▪
Don't point your finger at me.
▪
It will be time to go when the big hand points to 12 and the little hand points to 8.
▪
The teacher pointed at Marcus and told him to come to the front of the class.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
He rested the handle on the hair between her legs, the blade pointing up towards her abdomen.
▪
So when he followed up by pointing us towards the touchline, I got the shock of my life.
▪
The comment was pointed at du Cann.
▪
Then the rod-man screamed, arm pointing straight ahead at the surf.
▪
They were crowded together in a corner, their tails pointing the same way.
▪
Winston points to airline deregulation as case in point.