Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Calm-mind]

The following two sentences are quotes.

The best that can be said for deafness is that it�s an invisible handicap. The worst, that it puts deaf adults at the mercy of their healing children.

My question is about the second sentence. #1I think �is� is omitted between �the worst� and �that� to make a strong impression and �the worst� is the subject? #2 What does �it� in the second sentence point? I think it is �deafness.�

Thank you very much.

[ESL-ish]

You got it!
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Warning: I have a dictionary and I'm not afraid to use it!

[Calm-mind]

Thanks, ESL-ish
I was able to confirm that.

[Calm-mind]

The sentences of my previous question started from the following.

My parents are deaf. I can hear. And the fact of their deafness has made all the difference. It has altered the course of their lives, of my life, and of our family life.
In a way were outsiders, strangers in a strange world. With my parents and two younger sisters, it was as if we were clinging together for safety.

This time, I would like to hear about the second paragraph.
#1 About �strangers in ��a strange world�� If you say �I am a stranger in Japan� you are not from Japan. But in this case, strangers in a strange world means strangers in the world for the deaf, not in the world of people who fortunately can hear, I think. Correct?
#2 About �it� in the �it was as if ..� I think it is a part of a set expression, but what would you think about �it� Nothing or their situation? I think �it� tells their situation vaguely or as the sentence structure �it� needs, pointing out �as if we were clinging together for safety� simultaneously.

[ESL-ish]

[Calm-mind]

[quote]"strangers in a strange world" is a set phrase.

So, what does this mean, the literal meaning? In / for what situations, is it usually used?

I've searched for it but... It comes from Moses, a novel, a song etc.
Do you happened tp know a good web site for set phrases?[/quote]

[CP]

Robert Heinlein wrote a very popular novel, "Stranger in a Strange Land." That may be the source of the phrase.

The stranger is a creature from another planet. The strange land is Earth.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Calm-mind]

Thanks ESL-ish and CP