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HUBLOT Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

A picture of health

http://www.catseyecattery.co.uk/testimonials/
... and I'm happy to report that she is a picture of health!

Is a picture of health correct? Does it mean the same thing as "the picture of health" in "She is the picture of health. [=she looks very healthy] (http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/picture )"?
  

Top answer

The meanings are the same; they are equal variations.

— Mister Micawber

  • The meanings are the same; they are equal variations.
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5 Answers
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The meanings are the same; they are equal variations.
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It's "the". "The picture of X" is a fixed expression. Kofi Annan is the picture of a diplomat, not a picture of one.
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COCA gives me 8 'a picture' and 39 'the picture', so the latter seems to be, though not statistically, more common.
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I don't think that if enough journalists make a mistake it becomes standard English.
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I don't think that if enough journalists make a mistake it becomes standard English.-- Oh, it's well on its way, though. I dread to think how many changes in the language have been brought on by the media.
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