Hair splitting; come out of left field
Hi,
1) Can ‘hair-splitting’ be used in the context of a test or do you only say it when somebody makes petty distinctions with regards to the spoken word?
“There’s a great deal of hair-splitting in the test.” (A lot of terms are similar and overlap, which makes it difficult for me to get the right answer.)
2) Do you use ‘come out of left field’ from time to time?
“The question really came out of left field.”
Thank you.
Top answer
Ann225 There’s a great deal of hair-splitting in the test. OK Ann225 The question really came out of left field. OK Of the two, I probably use the first one more often, but I don't hear or say either one very often in spite of the fact that they are both perfectly good expressions.
- Ann225 There’s a great deal of hair-splitting in the test.
- OK Ann225 The question really came out of left field.
- OK Of the two, I probably use the first one more often, but I don't hear or say either one very often in spite of the fact that they are both perfectly good expressions.
- (AmE) CJ
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Ann225There’s a great deal of hair-splitting in the test.
OK
Ann225The question really came out of left field.
OK
Of the two, I probably use the first one more often, but I don't hear or say either one very often in spite of the fact that they are both perfectly good expressions. (AmE)
CJ
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