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Kemil Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary
"To reinvent the wheel" vs. "To go over old ground"
What's the difference, if any?
An english teacher told me to use "go over old ground" instead of "to reinvent the wheel" in this sentence (I asked for a synonym and he came up with it):
"Just use our product instead of reinventing the wheel."
But if I use "going over", I bother if the meaning changes?
For me, "to reinvent the wheel" has a negative attitude, it is no good to reinvent something that has successfully be done before. In contrast, "to go over old ground" seems to have a slightly different, more positive aspect. It could mean the same, but I think it aims more in the direction of "walk in the footsteps of somebody else", which is not negative sometimes.
So what's the point here? Can I use both idioms or what meaning is correct?
Thanks a lot!
An english teacher told me to use "go over old ground" instead of "to reinvent the wheel" in this sentence (I asked for a synonym and he came up with it):
"Just use our product instead of reinventing the wheel."
But if I use "going over", I bother if the meaning changes?
For me, "to reinvent the wheel" has a negative attitude, it is no good to reinvent something that has successfully be done before. In contrast, "to go over old ground" seems to have a slightly different, more positive aspect. It could mean the same, but I think it aims more in the direction of "walk in the footsteps of somebody else", which is not negative sometimes.
So what's the point here? Can I use both idioms or what meaning is correct?
Thanks a lot!
Top answer
Hello Kemil, welcome to EF! 'To reinvent the wheel' means to invent something, laboriously, that has already been invented. 'To go over old ground' means to revisit, tiresomely, an old argument or subject.
- Hello Kemil, welcome to EF!
- 'To reinvent the wheel' means to invent something, laboriously, that has already been invented.
- 'To go over old ground' means to revisit, tiresomely, an old argument or subject.
- Both are negative.
- The 'wheel' idiom seems better suited to your sense.
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1 Answers
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Hello Kemil, welcome to EF!
'To reinvent the wheel' means to invent something, laboriously, that has already been invented.
'To go over old ground' means to revisit, tiresomely, an old argument or subject.
Both are negative.
The 'wheel' idiom seems better suited to your sense.
MrP
'To reinvent the wheel' means to invent something, laboriously, that has already been invented.
'To go over old ground' means to revisit, tiresomely, an old argument or subject.
Both are negative.
The 'wheel' idiom seems better suited to your sense.
MrP
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