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chaps

 
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learner12



Joined: 18 Nov 2006
Posts: 730

PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 6:18 pm    Post subject: chaps Reply with quote

Hello, teachers!!

Geography is about map, but biography is about chaps.

----->
I looked the word "chap" up in the dictionary, but I cannot understand the sentence above.

According to a dictionary:
a fellow; man or boy.

What did the sentence want to say to readers?

Thank you in advance.
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dragn



Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450

PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Geography is about map, but biography is about chaps.


That's right..."chap" is an informal word for man or boy. It's a bit more common in British English, but we Yanks use it too from time to time. In the given context, it just means people. Whoever wrote this sentence simply used the word "chaps" because it rhymes with "maps" (which is probably the way it was intended to appear). The result is a clever, catchy way to remind people of the difference in meaning between the words geography and biography. That is, geography is about maps, but biography is about people.

Greg
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learner12



Joined: 18 Nov 2006
Posts: 730

PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear dragn:

Thank you so much for your intelligent and whiz explanations.

Take care and have a nice weekend.
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