“If you count all the rich people
in the world they are just a drop in the bucket in comparison to the world’s population.”
“These contributions are
just a drop in
the bucket; the new church wing will cost thousands more.”
“I'm glad Tony started
repaying the money he borrowed from me, but the five dollars he gave me
yesterday is just a drop in the bucket compared
to what he still owes.”
“I know $200 is a drop in the bucket but please use it to make an extra payment on your
student loans anyway.”
“I shouldn't be surprised I
failed the class. The studying I did was a drop in the bucket of
the requirements and I never went to class either.”
I’m sure you know the
meaning of the expression a drop in the bucket.
This expression is used to show:
1.
A very small quantity, especially one that is too
small.;
2.
A tiny amount, especially when compared to a much
larger one;
3.
A small, inadequate quantity;
4.
A very small proportion of the whole.
What's the origin of the
phrase A drop in the bucket?
It comes from the Bible,
more specifically, Isaiah 40:15 (King James Version):
"Behold,
the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small
dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little
thing."
Is there any difference between 'a drop in the bucket' and 'a
drop in the ocean'?
The answer is straightforward:
NO. 'A drop in the bucket' is the predecessor of 'a drop in the ocean'; they
mean exactly the same thing. However, ‘a
drop in the ocean’ seems to have been used for the first time in 1802 in a
piece from the Edinburgh Weekly Journal:
"The
votes for the appointment of Bonaparte to be Chief Consul for life are like a drop in the ocean compared with the
aggregate of the population of France."
Considering that it seems to
be much easier to remember new vocabulary and new expressions when you write your
own phrases, I would like to challenge you to write your own sample sentences in the
comments section below. Can you do it?
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Drop
in the Bucket is also a Los Angeles based, charity with field offices in Uganda and
South Sudan. You can check it here if you want.
You can also find them on
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DropInTheBucket
PORTAL DA
LÍNGUA INGLESA has no responsibility for the
persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-partly internet websites
referred to in this post, and does not guarantee that any context on such websites
are, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
In some
instances, I have been unable to trace the owners of the pictures used here;
therefore, I would appreciate any information that would enable me to do so.
Thank you very much.
Is something important missing?
Report an error or suggest an improvement. Please, I strive for accuracy and
fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact me!
Your feedback is welcome. Please
direct comments and questions to me at bruno_coriolano@hotmail.com
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