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Mamger Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary

ALL BUT ONE

What does "all but one" mean in the sentences or phrases below? A paraphrase is much preferred.

All but one of the cases he cites

All but one of these new CDs. contain more than seventy minutes of music.

All but one of the seven steroids studied in the present investigation.

Thank you very much for your help.
  

Top answer

This references all items, apart from one item. For example. If there were ten bottles on a shelf, and I picked up all but one, I would have picked up nine bottles.

— McJ

  • This references all items, apart from one item.
  • For example.
  • If there were ten bottles on a shelf, and I picked up all but one, I would have picked up nine bottles.
  • "All" being the total in its entirety, "but one" meaning the total, minus one.
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6 Answers
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This references all items, apart from one item.

For example. If there were ten bottles on a shelf, and I picked up all but one, I would have picked up nine bottles.

"All" being the total in its entirety, "but one" meaning the total, minus one.
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I did post this a moment ago, but being an unregistered user, my comments went into the moderation queue, which is a bit frustrating.

However, now I'm registered
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Welcome to the forums, then, McJ.

Another way of saying this is that "There is only of [of these things, whatever they are] that does not meet the condition being talked about."
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Thank you very much for answers; they helped much.
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what is the meaning of the statement " all of them but one failed the exams"?
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Anonymouswhat is the meaning of the statement " all of them but one failed the exams"?
It means that only one person passed the exams.
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