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Non native: I always read it as “everything except for z”. I’m trying to build an autocorrect for “all but” into “almost” in my brain.
by bruce343434 4y ago
Non native: I always read it as “everything except for z”. I’m trying to build an autocorrect for “all but” into “almost” in my brain.
- kd5bjo 4y agoAs a native speaker, I interpret it the same way as you. The most common usage of this form is probably the idiom “It’s all over but the shouting,” meaning a foregone conclusion that still has some steps to go through before it becomes official. Historically, this phrase comes from electioneering where there is only one viable candidate standing for office: The competition is practically completed, but the actual voting (the ‘shouting’) has not yet occurred to ratify this result.