Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Chan-Seung Lee]

[CP]

The odds are the probabilities, the chances, of something happening. What are the odds that a person would lose two grandparents in the same week? What are the chances / what is the probability?

If you figure the odds, you work out the probabilities, calculate the chances.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[lotus]

Hi Chan-Seung Lee,

When we are amazed by an outcome we might say:

Go figure!

Go figure the odds!

What are the odds!

What are the odds of that happening!

How incredulous!


We can't believe that it has happened, or that it could have happened, or that it is happening .

This might be a reaction to winning the lottery, or seeing your friend do something you didn't think he would or could do, or simply seeing or experiencing something that seems impossible or improbable.


--lotus
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War does not make one great --Yoda

[CP]

Minor correction:

Incredible means unbelievable. Incredulous means unbelieving.

If you tell me something fantastic, unbelievable, I might say, "That's incredible!" I might mean that I don't believe it, or I might mean that it's so outrageous that you can't expect me to believe it, even though I probably do.

If I don't believe you, I might say, "I'm incredulous," or "I just don't find that credible."
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb