It was also windy, however, I and my son had nothing to do with it and were looking forward to having the time!!
To my surprise, the representative's prepared for recording our talking because I'd asked her to do for reviewing and checking my pronunciation, words, grammar and so forth. Last time the recorder didn't work well, so she fixed it. Thanx a lot!!!
The time passed away like a flash. When I was going home, I checked it in my car. I was a little embarrassed because there's little opportunity for doing like that.
I felt it that it was worth doing to brush up, improve own English.
Anyway, yesterday I asked a teacher, who is from England, about a phrase....." within an ace of ...."
The mean's nearly do something. I got it from an English book long time ago. As I nearly hit a small dog by car yesterday, I used it. Then, she didn't understand what I said. So I explained and she looked into an English-English dictionary.
It said.....
" nearly succeed something."
So, she said I might have misused it properly......
( I also asked it an another English man.) He said like that, too....
BUT!!!!
Today I asked English members again. One of them checked it with an electronic dictionary.
There were a few examples, the following......
" He was( or came) within an ace of succeed ( or defeat. etc.)"
" I came within an ace of death (or being killed. etc.)"
I think it can be used positive and negative meanings....
Uh... Is it old phrase or only for writing??? Or American English???
Shouldn't I use phrase in the case??
