Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hiromichi]

I like the subject expression to be explained.

Yardboy wrote in to tell us about a story from Reuters describing a lawsuit by parental advice company Kinderstart.com against Google for 'charging it unfairly deprived the company of customers by downgrading its search-result ranking without reason or warning.' Kinderssart claims Google is responsible for 'a "cataclysmic" 70 percent fall in its audience -- and a resulting 80 percent decline in revenue.' I guess the courts will now decide: Can google taketh what they giveth?
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Hiromichi

[Jintii]

In an older form of English, taketh = takes and giveth = gives.

The phrase you quoted is a reference to a verse in the Bible which is often used at funerals. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away = God gives life (we are born) and God takes life away (we die).

So the author was trying to be clever, asking whether Google can do the same (give search-result rankings and take them away).

Does that help?

[hiromichi]

Jintii,I get it. Thank you very much for your clear explanation.
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Hiromichi