maartijn's avatar
maartijn

July 6, 2021

140
Sentences 160: All Things, Bee In Bonnet, Part And Parcel

She is all things to all people, probably politician is a good job for her.
He really has a bee in his bonnet about Twitter, he thinks that whole world turns around this.
Doing complicated database queries is part and parcel of my job.

Corrections

She is all everythings to all people, probablyeveryone, being a politician is probably a good job for her.

"All things to all people" is technically correct, but it's not a very natural way of constructing this phrase.

It's the difference between:
"Sie ist alle dinge zu alle Leute" and
"Sie ist alles zu Allen"

Notice how the second sentence has more of a punch to it?

He really has a bee in his bonnet about Twitter, he thinks thate whole world turnrevolves around ithis.

"Revolve" is more common in this expression.

Doing complicated database queries is part and parcel of my job.

nutty's avatar
nutty

July 6, 2021

0

Also the expression "part and parcel" isn't familiar to me, so I can't comment on it :).

But DianE had a good explanation anyway.

maartijn's avatar
maartijn

July 18, 2021

140

Thanks!

She is all things to all people, probably being a politician is a good job for her.

He really has a bee in his bonnet about Twitter,; he thinks that whole world turns around thisit is a terrible influence.

“Bee in his bonnet” is usually used for negative emotions, anger and obsessive complaining - not neutral or positive feelings.

Doing complicated database queries is part and parcel of my job.

This isn’t wrong at all, but the usage for this phrase wouldn’t typically be used in this context. Instead of using it simply to replace “part” as you have done here, it is typically used for something that is essential - often with a shading of meaning of something inevitable that must simply be accepted.

Example: “getting sneezed on by children is simply part and parcel of the job of being a kindergarten teacher” or (less negatively) “long distance flights are part and parcel of his job.”

DianeE's avatar
DianeE

July 6, 2021

0

I’d be interested in hearing others’ opinions on “part and parcel.”

maartijn's avatar
maartijn

July 18, 2021

140

Thanks!

maartijn's avatar
maartijn

July 18, 2021

140

Doing complicated database queries is part and parcel of my job.

Thanks, Oxford Dictionary was not helpful here, but Cambridge has a good explanation: "to be a feature of something, especially a feature that cannot be avoided".

Sentences 160: All Things, Bee In Bonnet, Part And Parcel


She is all things to all people, probably politician is a good job for her.


She is all things to all people, probably being a politician is a good job for her.

She is all everythings to all people, probablyeveryone, being a politician is probably a good job for her.

"All things to all people" is technically correct, but it's not a very natural way of constructing this phrase. It's the difference between: "Sie ist alle dinge zu alle Leute" and "Sie ist alles zu Allen" Notice how the second sentence has more of a punch to it?

He really has a bee in his bonnet about Twitter, he thinks that whole world turns around this.


He really has a bee in his bonnet about Twitter,; he thinks that whole world turns around thisit is a terrible influence.

“Bee in his bonnet” is usually used for negative emotions, anger and obsessive complaining - not neutral or positive feelings.

He really has a bee in his bonnet about Twitter, he thinks thate whole world turnrevolves around ithis.

"Revolve" is more common in this expression.

Doing complicated database queries is part and parcel of my job.


Doing complicated database queries is part and parcel of my job.

This isn’t wrong at all, but the usage for this phrase wouldn’t typically be used in this context. Instead of using it simply to replace “part” as you have done here, it is typically used for something that is essential - often with a shading of meaning of something inevitable that must simply be accepted. Example: “getting sneezed on by children is simply part and parcel of the job of being a kindergarten teacher” or (less negatively) “long distance flights are part and parcel of his job.”

This sentence has been marked as perfect!

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