Anonymous Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
Precis logical meaning of idiom "all you need"
In the sentence, "all you need to get through this locked door is a paper clip," I believe the intended meaning to be:
"Nothing more than a paper clip is 'necessary,' and a mere paper clip would be 'sufficient.' However, the paper clip is not 'necessary' -- ie, it is not the only way to get through. By common sense, the right key, or sufficient brute force, could also get you through the door."
(This is, of course, in direct opposition to the normal dictionary definition of "need," and is therefore idiomatic and idiosyncratic; it doesn't generalize beyond a specific term such as "all you need.")
However, I could very well be wrong in this.
(The context for this is the LSAT, in which sufficiency / necessity distinctions are inordinately important.)
Any knowledgeable assistance would be greatly appreciated; thanks in advance.
"Nothing more than a paper clip is 'necessary,' and a mere paper clip would be 'sufficient.' However, the paper clip is not 'necessary' -- ie, it is not the only way to get through. By common sense, the right key, or sufficient brute force, could also get you through the door."
(This is, of course, in direct opposition to the normal dictionary definition of "need," and is therefore idiomatic and idiosyncratic; it doesn't generalize beyond a specific term such as "all you need.")
However, I could very well be wrong in this.
(The context for this is the LSAT, in which sufficiency / necessity distinctions are inordinately important.)
Any knowledgeable assistance would be greatly appreciated; thanks in advance.
Top answer
What most people would understand by "all you need ... is a paper clip" is "there are many things that will serve this purpose, but you do not need to worry about them; the easiest and simplest thing is simply a paper clip. " OK, I admit that I am exaggerating slightly, but that's the general idea.
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What most people would understand by "all you need ... is a paper clip" is "there are many things that will serve this purpose, but you do not need to worry about them; the easiest and simplest thing is simply a paper clip. A paper clip, which is readily available, will save you the trouble of thinking of more sophisticated means."
OK, I admit that I am exaggerating slightly, but that's t
OK, I admit that I am exaggerating slightly, but that's t
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