pronoun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
be (just) what/who you are looking for
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‘Salubrious’! That’s just the word I was looking for.
come what may (= whatever happens )
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I knew he’d be able to take care of himself, come what may .
describe how/why/what etc
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It’s difficult to describe how I feel.
do what you want
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You can do what you want, instead of being told what to do.
(do you) know what I mean? (= used to ask if someone understands or has the same feeling as you )
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It’s nice to have a change sometimes. Know what I mean?
(do) you know what/something?
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You know what? I think he’s lonely.
do/if you know/see what I mean? spoken (= used to check that someone understands you )
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I want to buy her something really special, if you know what I mean.
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We’re still married but living apart in the same house, if you see what I mean.
don’t know what came over (= I do not know why I behaved in that way )
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I’m sorry about that – I don’t know what came over me .
from what I can gather/as far as I can gather (= this is what I believe to be true )
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She’s his niece, from what I can gather.
get what you deserve (= experience something bad after you have behaved badly )
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I like films where the bad guys get what they deserve.
get what you want
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You’ve got what you wanted, so you might as well leave.
have what it takes informal (= to have the qualities that are needed for success )
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Neil’s got what it takes to be a great footballer.
I hear what you say/what you’re saying spoken (= used to tell someone that you have listened to their opinion, but do not agree with it )
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I hear what you say, but I don’t think we should rush this decision.
I hear what you say/what you’re saying spoken (= used to tell someone that you have listened to their opinion, but do not agree with it )
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I hear what you say, but I don’t think we should rush this decision.
I know what you mean (= I understand, because I have had the same experience )
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‘I just felt so tired.' ‘Yeah, I know what you mean .’.
I know what you mean (= used to say you understand and have had the same experience )
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‘I didn’t really like him.’ ' I know what you mean , I didn’t get on with him either .
I see what you mean (= I understand what you are trying to say )
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Oh yeah! I see what you mean .
if you know what I mean
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Sometimes it’s better not to ask too many questions, if you know what I mean.
it’s just what I’ve always wanted (= used to thank someone for a present that you really like )
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Thanks for the bread machine – it's just what I've always wanted.
knew what...hit (= realized what had happened )
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He was gone before they knew what had hit them .
know what...are talking about
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The staff are dedicated people who clearly know what they are talking about .
know what...doing (= I do not have enough skill and experience to deal with something )
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I don’t really know what I’m doing when it comes to cars.
meant what...said
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I meant what I said earlier.
see what...mean (= I understand what you are saying )
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I see what you mean .
stop what you’re doing
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Right, stop what you’re doing and come over here.
to what extent? (= how much? )
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To what extent does cutting down trees contribute to climate change?
What a cheek!
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What a cheek! Of course I read the instructions!
What a dump
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‘ What a dump ,’ she added as they entered the village.
What a fool
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What a fool she had been to think that he would stay.
What a nuisance! British English
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What a nuisance! I’ve forgotten my ticket.
What a palaver
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What a palaver over nothing!
what a relief
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What a relief to be able to say what I really feel!
What a shame
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What a shame we missed the wedding.
what all the fuss was about (= why people liked it so much )
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Until I heard her sing I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about .
what appear to be
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Police have found what appear to be human remains.
What astonishes...is
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What astonishes me most is his complete lack of fear.
What do you take me for? (= what sort of person do you think I am? )
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Of course I won’t tell anyone! What do you take me for?
What does...mean
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What does ‘patronizing’ mean ?
What good is...when
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What good is money when you haven’t any friends?
What I mean is (= used to explain more about what you have said )
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What I mean is , I don’t feel alone anymore.
what I want to do is ...
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What I want to do is develop the skills I already have.
What interests...is
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What interests me is all the history of these places.
what is meant by
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The report fails to define what is meant by the term ‘key issues’.
what is the world/the country etc coming to? (= used to say that the world etc is in a bad situation )
what kind (of sth)?
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What kind of milk shake would you like?
what matters is
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I don’t care what it looks like – what matters is that it works.
What Not to Wear
What remains of
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What remains of his original art collection is now in the city museum.
what sb had imagined (= what someone thought something would be like, before they saw it or experienced it )
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The office was not what he had imagined.
what seemed like an eternity
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Here she waited for what seemed like an eternity .
what sounded like
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I heard what sounded like fireworks.
What surprised...most
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What surprised me most was that she didn’t seem to care.
what the future holds (= what will happen )
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He is worried about what the future holds for the company.
what the future holds
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Thousands of workers are waiting to see what the future holds .
what the trouble is
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A couple of nurses rushed into the room to see what the trouble was.
what was left of (= used when very little is left )
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He pointed to what was left of the house .
what worries me is .../the (only) thing that worries me is ...
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The only thing that worries me is the food. I don’t want to get food poisoning.
what...had in mind
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It was a nice house, but it wasn’t quite what we had in mind .
what/how/who etc the fuck
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What the fuck do you think you’re doing?
What...like about
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What I like about the job is that it’s never boring.
what...means
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It’s pretty obvious what she means .
what...pleases
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She does what she pleases .
What...weigh (= how much )
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What do you weigh ?
who/what/why etc do you suppose ... ?
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Who on earth do you suppose could have done this?
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How do you suppose he got here?
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(and) what's more
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These detergents are environmentally friendly; what's more , they're relatively cheap.
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What's more , the price of a mobile home often includes appliances.
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All stylishly embossed with your club's emblem. What's more , each item carries an equally attractive price tag.
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And what's more it's clean.
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And what's more it's encouraging people to be brief and efficient.
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And what's more , I can always teach.
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And what's more , scarce a word out of you.
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And what's more , they're free!
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The company is perceived through its design, is judged by it. What's more , people buy design rather than function.
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Yes, it had a heater and, what's more , you could even have air conditioning and automatic transmission.
(well,) what do you know?
I hate to think what/how/where etc
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But take care of them, darling. I hate to think what we'd do if they had to be replaced.
I'll see what I can do
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"I really need it by tomorrow." "I can't make any promises, but I'll see what I can do."
I/I'll tell you what
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I tell you what, I'll make you dinner if you drive me to the store.
What are you drinking?
What is sb playing at?
What price fame/glory etc?
What's your/his etc problem?
be just what the doctor ordered
for what it's worth
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For what it's worth , I think you did a fine job.
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My feeling, for what it's worth , is that they should be regarded as wasting assets.
give sb what for
guess what/you'll never guess who/what etc
if you know what's good for you
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If you know what's good for you, you'll do what I tell you.
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You'll just keep your mouth shut about this if you know what's good for you!
if you know what's good for you
it's a shame/what a shame etc
it/what gets me
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Again, it gets me away utterly from television.
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But it gets me out of the house for a while.
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But never mind the niceties: it gets me in.
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But what gets me most is when somebody dies who hasn't really lived.
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Heaven knows I've tried talking to him, but it gets me nowhere.
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Sometimes I can laugh it off but inside it gets me down.
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That's what gets me about it.
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The same old thing - cleaning the same things all the time, that's what gets me.
know what you are talking about
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Look, I know what I'm talking about because I was there when it happened.
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Pilger knows what he is talking about, having spent several years as a reporter in Vietnam.
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Rolim seemed to know what he was talking about, but his theories raised some questions for me.
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Wayne, you don't know what the hell you're talking about.
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And those who hint that this approach increases the guilt of the patient simply do not know what they are talking about.
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But the debate will be between two insiders who know what they are talking about.
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But we ensure we first know what we are talking about.
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Engineers should only offer an opinion if they know what they are talking about.
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They are not the only people who know what they are talking about when it comes to children and education.
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They have demonstrated publicly, through close scrutiny by their peers, that they know what they are talking about.
know/understand what it means to be sth
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If you are overweight, then you know what it means to be in emotional pain.
look what you're doing/look where you're going etc
look what you've done!
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Now look what you've done! You'll have to clean it up.
no matter how/whether/what etc
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Another 10 percent or so will vote Republican, no matter what.
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As devoted parents, they want to stand by their son no matter what happens.
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But inside the Forum, no matter how lopsided the talent levels, the setting alone made it great.
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But the algorithm is the same finite set of instructions no matter how big the numbers.
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My priority is to drive the business, bring in the revenue, no matter what it takes.
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The Universe is one organic whole, no matter how diverse and widely differing its manifold aspects may seem to be.
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Throughout the century, no matter what the current literary rage, Contemporary Romances have maintained a quiet, yet devoted audience.
no matter what
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Actually, no matter what happens to the business cycle, people will continue to eat and to get sick.
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Children benefit from knowing that they will be cared for and loved, no matter what their performance in school.
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Dinah tells her she will always have a friend to turn to, no matter what trouble she may find.
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Frequent cancellations, no matter what the excuse, make a diva seem a dangerously risky investment.
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I found acceptance in my music, so -- no matter what I was -- they liked my music.
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No matter how it manifests itself, no matter what the cause, it's bad news, believe me.
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They had to get out, no matter what the weather, and run around the car five times.
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Throughout the century, no matter what the current literary rage, Contemporary Romances have maintained a quiet, yet devoted audience.
not give a shit (what/whether/about etc)
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As David said, the union simply does not give a shit .
not know what hit you
not know what sb sees in sb
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What does Ron see in her?
not quite why/what/where etc
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But it is not quite what it seems.
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Only his shoes seemed to be a little too pointed - not quite what men one knew would wear.
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So Feuerbach's sensuous anthropology, much praised even by Karl Barth, is not quite what it seems.
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Somehow we get the feeling this is not quite what Tucson Mayor George Miller had in mind.
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That is not quite what we suggested, which was that it should have regard to affordability.
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The whole situation was very unusual and not quite what I expected it to be.
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They are not quite what I should have expected from a man like Serafin.
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This is not quite what was expected.
now what?
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And now what about these phone calls?
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And now what is she doing?
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Fine, he was persuaded, and he was doing everything possible to achieve the goals. Now what?
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He knew now what he wanted.
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Heart disease, then major cardiac surgery and now what is being described as pneumonia have kept him from work.
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I could see now what it was about Barry that kept me standing there.
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Liam Murphy was now what could be called in any circumstances a rich man.
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Not the same at all now what's happened has happened.
practise what you preach
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And Scott the rapier-slim rapper backs up this message by practising what he preaches.
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Both Johnson and Lady Macleod found the book wanting, her objection being that the author did not practise what he preached.
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I just wanted to see if he practised what he preached.
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In most areas of life, he tries to practise what he preaches.
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It is a good thing he practises what he preaches.
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It is also important to practise what you preach.
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The paper would practise what it preached.
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The tight control on public sector pay is crucial and underlines the fact that the Government intends to practise what it preaches.
say what you like
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Clearly western painters said what they liked, how they liked.
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From now on he could do and say what he liked - they wouldn't raise a squeak.
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He could say what he liked, but she was now controlling the agenda.
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I can say what I like.
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If she just vanishes, Elizabeth Roisin can say what she likes, but there's nothing she can do!
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There must, he said , be a place where people are free to say what they like.
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We can do what we like and say what we like to whomever we like, without restriction.
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While manufacturers say what they like about themselves through advertising, favourable public opinion for their products or services is earned.
say what?
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At each anniversary National Savings will write and say what the guaranteed rate is for the next 12 months.
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For the first time in his life he was free from corporate restraints, to say what he really thought.
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I want to know who says what.
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In this kind of situation neither can say what their real feelings are.
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It is always a matter of setting priorities and saying what is real for today.
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Male speaker It's a very psychological part - you have to keep saying what the scene is about in your head.
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People close to the negotiations declined to say what Liggett might pay under an expanded agreement.
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She tried to imagine herself walking along the corridor, knocking on Luke's bedroom door and saying - saying what?
sb is (living) on another planet/what planet is sb on?
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As a replacement for the Bluebird, the Primera is on another planet .
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People in the Antelope Valley worry that most people south of the mountains think that their valley is on another planet .
see sth for what it is
see what I mean?
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See what I mean , Dad, about this camera being difficult to use?
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And little enough for cleverness, if you see what I mean .
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BBut you see what I mean .
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Do you see what I mean , he was trying?
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He had this manner, as if he was a bit above the rest of us, if you see what I mean .
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He just has the feelings, if you see what I mean .
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I think you will see what I mean only after tasting this bread.
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You see what I mean about having to keep up with things.
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You see what I mean when I say it's nothing new, it's been endlessly talked around.
see what sb/sth can do
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But I don't see what you can do about it.
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I hardly see what I can do that the consul can't.
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I will go into the streets and see what I can do.
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Perdita saw what they can do.
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The depth on this team -- you saw what Ship can do.
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Why not see what you can do?
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Will he see what he can do to persuade the public sector to follow the private sector's practice in this case?
see/find out what sb is (really) made of
something/anything/what happens to sb/sth
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Actually, no matter what happens to the business cycle, people will continue to eat and to get sick.
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Do all the fish die and what happens to the occupants of metal-hulled boats?
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If anything happens to me, just bury me at Wounded Knee.
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Suppose Holt's 6-year-old does opt out of school? What happens to her then?
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Tell the students to hold the jars and look at the items through them. What happens to the items?
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The power is cut! What happens to the cake?
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We thought of having a party on that day to watch what happens to one another.
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What are the determinants of supply? What happens to the supply curve when each of these determinants changes?
that's all I need/that's just what I didn't need
that's what I mean
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"You've got to think about later on in life, too." "That's what I mean . It's getting closer."
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And that's what I mean about friends.
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But that's what I meant about technology having caught you up.
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I deny I get long holidays, that's what I mean .
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I think that's what I mean .
that's what you/they etc think!
the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing
the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing
there's no telling what/how etc
what ails sth
what are we waiting for?
▪
What are we waiting for? Let's go eat.
what are you like!
what are you talking about?
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What are you talking about? - Ron has lots of money.
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And I was like, I was just like, what are you talking about?
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And, anyway, what are you talking about, the rich man in his castle?
what are you waiting for?
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What are you waiting for? Ask her out on a date.
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And with actual tickets for the event up for grabs, what are you waiting for?
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So what are you waiting for.
what became of ...?/whatever will become of ...?
what can I do you for?
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Good morning, Mitch! What can I do you for today?
what can/do you expect?
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Nothing spectacular but what do you expect from beginners?!!!
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Sad about the Derwent but what can we expect ?
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Sure, what do you expect for that kind of money?
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What can we expect in the future?
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What can you expect from those young people in the small towns.
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What do you expect from an also-ran business publication like Fortune?
what do you mean ...?
what do you say?
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How about going to Europe this summer? What do you say ?
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And what do we say of the present day psychiatrist how mad, how mad?.
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Come on, what do ya say ?
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I am like well what did she say ?
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Now what do you say to a goofy question like that?
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Question, what did he say to your statements?
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Well, brother, what do you say to a girl not seen or heard from for five years.
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Well, hey; what do you say to us taking the card game someplace else?
what do you want?
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What do you want now? I'm busy.
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By the way, what do you want for your birthday?
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I can't pretend to be, and you know it, so what do you want ?
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I was like, okay, what do you want to bet?
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Now what do you want me to do?
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So we have to ask ourselves, what do these machines really want to do, what do they want to wear?
what does it matter?
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We'll do it tomorrow or the next day. What does it matter ?
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Hill people, valley people, what does it matter if gullibility remains unaffected by our environments?
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The same as what does it matter whether or not I was a virgin when I met Gillian?
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Well, what does it matter ?
what does sb care?
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He tells the chauffeur to go gas up the limo, and what does he care ?
what does sb know?
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I'm not going to listen to Martha. What does she know ?
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My chaplain snorts in derision but what does he know ?
what else can sb do/say?
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I told her it looked good. What else could I say?
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I do about three hundred sit-ups a day and it still refuses to firm up, but what else can I do?
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P.S. Awful - but what else can one do?
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So what else can Florida do?
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What else can a sinner say?
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What else can he realistically do?
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What else can I do for you Jim?
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What else can I do to improve things?
what goes around comes around
▪
But, as the saying goes , what goes around comes around.
what has sb done with sth?
▪
So what has Renault done with the latest version of its supermini?
what have you got to say for yourself?
what is it now?/now what?
what is sb doing with sth?
what is sb trying to prove?
what is sb/sth doing?
▪
And in the back of my mind was the wild thought, Where is Dean and what is he doing right now?
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And now what is she doing ?
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But what is Rabbit Maranville doing in there?
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Just what is this doing to the hearts and minds of our children?
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What is Lucinda doing right this moment?
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What is the submarine doing up here?
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What is this government doing to encourage cycling?
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Where is he and what is he doing ?
what is sb/sth like?
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What's it like living in Spain?
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What's the new teacher like ?
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But what is it like to actually be in Brookie?
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But what is it like to go from one pregnancy to the next - going on having more and more children?
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But what is it like to possess 360° vision with two, narrow and separate binocular fields?
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But what is life like for people living in rural areas who can't afford a car?
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But what is morale like in today's force.
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So what is the Pro-File like to dive with?
what little
▪
Constant logging threatens to wipe out the little that is left of the rain forest.
▪
They spent what little money they had on a new stereo.
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After these meetings we would all sit and eat together what little groceries the people had been able to collect.
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Archie suddenly loomed over me, his bloated Zeppelin figure blocking out what little light there was.
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At times, Alvin clung slavishly to what little he had observed firsthand of the process of making dances.
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By now Dad was sixty-five, and what little lenience he may once have possessed had long since hardened into steely inflexibility.
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Grandmother eats what Little Red Cap has brought her; and the girl has learned her lesson.
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It was appalling and ridiculous, and this inner battle was draining away what little strength she had left.
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Personally, I used to devote what little thought I could muster to the question of nutcrackers.
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The majority of the displaced are therefore reluctant to leave the camps and prefer what little protection the church can offer.
what makes sb tick
▪
After working with him for five years, I still don't know what makes him tick .
▪
As a teacher, you need to get to know your students, find out what makes them tick .
▪
Nobody can figure out what makes him tick .
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But identifying them, learning about their behaviour and distribution and understanding what makes them tick , requires some enjoyable investigation.
▪
But they also have ideas about how the social world works and what makes its inhabitants tick .
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He's always been interested in what makes people tick .
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I would listen to what makes you tick and what you like and then be me with those characteristics.
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It's like reading a biography of a favourite author to learn what makes them tick .
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Jody has thought a lot about what makes Red tick .
▪
Try to figure out what makes him tick .
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Who are these men and what makes them tick ?
what manner of ...?
▪
What manner of son would treat his mother in such a way?
what possessed sb (to do sth)?
▪
I don't know what possessed me to buy such an ugly dress.
what sb is driving at
▪
She didn't mention "sexual harassment," but I knew what she was driving at.
▪
Many candidates don't recognize what the question is driving at.
what sb says goes
▪
I'm in charge here and what I say goes.
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I look up to my brother, what he says goes with me, so that really hurt.
what sb should do with sth/what to do with sth etc
what sb will do for sth
▪
This brings me to what allatostatin will do for us.
what should I see but sth/who should appear but sb etc
what sort of ... ?
what the blazes/who the blazes etc
what the heck
▪
And what the heck did it all mean, anyway?
▪
Hey, what the heck , another big hit from Alomar, and here comes Palmeiro.
▪
I just want to know what the heck happened.
▪
I was like what the heck does that mean?
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Martinique, she thought, what the heck , why not give the nude beach a try?
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Oh, what the heck - TrueEffects is great fun.
▪
Parents of later learners cringe and begin to wonder what the heck is going on.
▪
So what the heck , folks.
what the hell!
▪
Okay, I'll bet $10 on the Cowboys, what the hell .
what to do with yourself
▪
I don't know what to do with myself.
▪
Once at the top, he had no idea what to do with himself.
▪
Still, it didn't take me long to make up my mind what to do with myself.
▪
Wade stopped and waited, not sure what to do with himself.
what was all that about?
▪
And what was all that about sending him your regards?
what with one thing and another
what's (all) the hurry?/why (all) the hurry?
what's (all) this?
what's biting you/her etc?
what's doing ...?
what's eating sb?
what's got into sb?
what's her/your etc game?
what's his face/what's her face
what's it worth (to you)?
what's new?
what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
what's sb on?
what's that supposed to mean?
▪
"It sounds like things aren't going too well for you lately." "What's that supposed to mean?"
what's that when it's at home?
what's the betting
▪
What's the betting all was well the night the Vikings came?
what's the big idea?
▪
Hey, what's the big idea? Who said you could borrow my car?
what's the big idea?
what's the damage?
what's the deal?
what's the good of ...?/what good is ...?
what's the matter?/something's the matter/nothing's the matter etc
what's the meaning of this?
▪
What's the meaning of this? I asked you to be here an hour ago!
what's the use (of sth)
▪
And what's the use of being on observation when you can't observe anything?
▪
My granda is dying there and what's the use ?
▪
You're a bloody animal, Cullam, without an animal's ... Oh! what's the use ?
what's this in aid of?
what's your poison?
what/how about sb/sth
what/how etc the deuce ...?
what/how/where/who in God's name
▪
What in God's name is that noise?
what/how/why etc in heaven's name
what/how/why/where etc the hell?
▪
She admits there are no jobs and wonders what the hell she is doing.
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What the hell does the reaction matter if you want to do it?
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What the hell was he talking about?
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What the hell was she playing at?
▪
Where the hell have you been?
▪
Why the hell couldn't you have told us?
▪
Wondering what the hell he's up to.
what/who/where the dickens ...?
what/who/why etc the devil?
▪
Now what the devil was he to do?
▪
So who the devil are these two engaging, literate, drug-free chatterers sitting down the pub?
▪
What the devil are you getting at?
▪
What the devil does he want?
▪
What the devil have you been doing to yourself?
▪
What the devil was he talking about?
▪
Why the devil do you think I came haring over here?
▪
Why the devil was she so stubborn?
what/why/how etc on earth ...?
who/what etc do you think?
▪
But what do you think my parents would think if I were to become involved with you?
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Cleaving to the bosom of my grieving family? What do you think they're doing?
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If I have a son, I think I shall send him. What do you think?
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Lady: What do you think is the most important aspect of herself a woman should preserve as she grows older?
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Let's see how you rate in that area. What do you think we go in for, here in Perugia?
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Q: Speaking of which, what do you think of Frank Gifford?
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What do you think of your manager? What do you think of our personnel policies and how they're working?
you are what you eat
you have no idea (how/what etc)
you know who/what
you reap what you sow
you're a star!/what a star!
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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What a mean thing to say!
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What are you doing?
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What did you say?
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What I need is a nice hot bath.
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What kind of dog is that?
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What nice weather we're having!
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I'm not sure what I can do to help you.
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Let me see what you've got in the box.
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She gave him what money she had.
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They're discussing what to do next.