What does these mean? Please explain:

Question

What does these mean? Please explain:1) The winning entry is right here.2) The prize is as good as mine.3) Be careful or be roadkill.WRITE DESCRIPTION HERE

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Hasibrahman1) The winning entry is right here.

Calvin holds up his entry for her t see. He claims that this entry will get the top prize, so it is pointless for her to submit another (losing) entry.

Hasibrahman2) The prize is as good as mine.

I will definitely win the prize.

Hasibrahman3) Be careful or be roadkill.

"roadkill" is the body of a dead animal that is killed when they run across a highway and are hit by a truck or car.

CalifJim · Answer

Hasibrahman3) Be careful or be roadkill.

This is based on the formula of "Be there or be square", which means if you don't come to this event (maybe a party), you will be regarded as square.

[ square: unsophisticated, conservative, or conventional
Someone who is square is boring because they do not wear fashionable clothes or have fashionable interests. ]

Similarly,

Be sociable or be alone. ~
If you are not sociable, you will end up being alone.

Thus,

Be careful or be roadkill. ~
If you are not careful, you will end up as roadkill. (dead on the road; the victim of a traffic accident)

Note that this formula is implicitly a conditional.

Hasibrahman2) The prize is as good as mine.

'as good as' is sometimes referred to as an approximator when used in this way. Thus, it's a more nuanced version of 'almost' or 'for all practical purposes'.

Quoted or modeled after examples in Cognitive Pragmatics (Schmid, 2012):

By Christmas 1942 the situation was as good as hopeless. (was almost hopeless; was just about hopeless)
Real short-term interest rates are as good as zero in the United States. (are just about zero; for all practical purposes are zero)
It was sad to see fine teams commit one horrendous play to throw away a game as good as won. (a game which was, for all practical purposes, won; a game which was all but won)

Thus,

The prize is as good as mine. ~
The prize is mine for all practical purposes. ~
I have already almost won the prize.

CJ

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