Reader’s question:

One thing is certain: The browser in 2015 will play an even larger role in our daily lives than it does right now--and that's saying a lot. "Everyone needs to support the Web," says Upson. "The Web has billions of users." Could you explain “that’s saying a lot”?

My comments:

And “that’s saying a lot” - that shows how important the Internet is. As is explained later, the Web has billions of users.

If a fact “says” something about someone or something, it means to emphasize that they exhibit a certain quality or character.

Here’s a dictionary example (Longman): “The fact that he returned the money says a lot about his character.”

Obviously he has a good character – he’s not greedy and did not take other people’s money as his own.

The opposite colloquial phrase would be: “that’s not saying much”, to emphasize that a particular statement isn’t quite unusual.

Again, the dictionary example (Longman): “She’s taller than me, but I’m only 5 foot 2 (about 1.55 meters), so that isn’t saying much.”

Here’s a web example (Nice To Meet You: Embracing the Self-Evolution of Motherhood, Keenesentinel.com, May 24, 2010):

There is almost nothing I do as well as I did before, except parenting, which I didn’t do before so that isn’t saying much. Life before kids and life after kids is like apples and oranges. Actually, it’s more like apples and spaceships.

Related stories:

Right on cue

Lower 48 states

Pick up steam

Personal chemistry

Put it on the back burner

Butt-brush effect

Make the cut

Poker face

Win hands down

Out on the street

Fly-by-night

Apple polisher

Might-have-beens

Think the world of

Ante up

Sit on the fence

On top of the world

Button your lip

One for the books

Pass the buck

Raw deal

Fire sale

Spill the beans

Sacred cow

Cheek to jowl

Peaches and cream

Know-it-all

A long shot

Miss the boat

Go to Zhang Xin's column

本文僅代表作者本人觀點(diǎn)，與本網(wǎng)立場(chǎng)無(wú)關(guān)。歡迎大家討論學(xué)術(shù)問(wèn)題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發(fā)布一切違反國(guó)家現(xiàn)行法律法規(guī)的內(nèi)容。

Zhang Xin has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.