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itself
in itself
Without the consideration of anything else. (A shortening of the full phrase "in and of itself.") The defendant's story seems plausible in itself, but when taken alongside the testimony of the witnesses, it starts to look less and less believable. As a sequel, the movie does an good job of continuing the story of the first, but it fails as a cohesive, enjoyable film in itself.
a house divided against itself cannot stand
If a group's members are in perpetual disagreement, the group will eventually cease to exist. The phrase is derived from a verse in the Bible (Mark 3:25) and was popularized in an 1858 speech by Abraham Lincoln. The candidate urged the members of his political party to unite because he understood that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
an end in itself
Something that is its own entity with no greater purpose. My parents think that studying literature is an end in itself and will never lead to a career.
blow itself out
[for a storm or a tantrum] to lose strength and stop; to subside. (Fixed order.) The storm blew itself out. Eventually, the hurricane blew itself out.
by itself
with the help of nothing else; without the addition of anything else. Will this food be enough by itself for all of us? Can the dog get out of the house by itself?
*an end in itself
existing for its own sake; existing for no clear purpose. (*Typically: be ~; become ~.) For Bob, art is an end in itself. He doesn't hope to make any money from it. Learning is an end in itself. Knowledge does not have to have a practical application.
History repeats itself.
Prov. The same kinds of events seem to happen over and over. It seems that history is about to repeat itself for that poor country; it is about to be invaded again. Alan: The country is headed for an economic depression. Jane: How do you know? Alan: History repeats itself. The conditions now are just like the conditions before the last major depression.
A house divided against itself cannot stand.
Prov. If the members of a group fight each other, the group will disintegrate. (Often the group under discussion is a family.) The leader of the newly formed union tried hard to reconcile the different factions within his organization, because he knew that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
in and of itself
considering it alone. The idea in and of itself is not bad, but the side issues introduce many difficulties. Her action, in and of itself, caused us no problem.
lend oneself or itself to something
Fig. [for someone or something] to be adaptable to something; [for someone or something] to be useful for something. This room doesn't lend itself to bright colors. John doesn't lend himself to casual conversation. I don't think that this gown lends itself to outdoor occasions.
*shadow of oneself
and *a shadow of itself; *a shadow of one's former selfFig. someone or something that is not as strong, healthy, full, or lively as before. (*Typically: be ~; become ~.) The sick man was a shadow of his former self. The abandoned mansion was merely a shadow of its old self.
speak for itself
and speak for themselves[for something] not to need explaining; to have an obvious meaning. The facts speak for themselves. Tom is guilty. Your results speak for themselves. You need to work harder.
speak for
oneself to speak on one's own behalf. I can speak for myself. I don't need you to speak for me. speak for yourself. What you say does not represent my thinking.
speak for someone or something
1. to testify or argue for someone or something. I would be happy to speak for you in court. Just tell me when. My attorney will speak for our position.
2. to lay claim to someone or something. Fred is spoken for. I want to speak for the red one.
suggest itself to someone
[for an idea] to seem to present itself to someone. A new scheme suggested itself to Alice as she looked at the records of the last attempt. As you read this, does anything suggest itself to you?
work itself out
[for a problem] to solve itself. Eventually, all the problems worked themselves out without any help from us. This will work itself out. Don't worry.
an end in itself
(slightly formal) satisfying no other purpose than the enjoyment of doing it Memorizing facts can become an end in itself and not a way of understanding something.
in and of itself
without considering anything else
Any step we can take to end the conflict and save lives is important in and of itself. Usage notes: sometimes used in the form in and of themselves: Lower interest rates in and of themselves don't mean much for stock prices.
lend itself to something
to be good for a particular use It was surprising how well her book lent itself to being turned into a film.
speak for somebody/something
to express the opinions or wishes of someone I can't speak for my boss on something that is so personal. Tokarczyk believed that her poetry could speak for the nation.
speak for yourself
to say what you really believe or think is true
She should tell us what happened – I mean, she's an adult, she can speak for herself. Usage notes: sometimes used to say you do not agree with what someone else has said: “Without makeup a woman cannot be pretty.” “Speak for yourself. I think she's beautiful with no makeup at all.”
an end in itself
if an activity or action is an end in itself, it is important to you not because it will help you to achieve something else, but because you enjoy doing it or think that it is important Education should be an end in itself.
speak for itself/themselves
if something speaks for itself, it does not need any explanation I'm not going to talk about our business successes. I think the report speaks for itself.
end in itself
A purpose or goal desired for its own sake (rather than to attain something else). For example, For me, writing books is an end in itself; they don't really make that much money. This expression employs the noun end in the sense of "final cause or purpose," a usage dating from the early 1500s.
in and of itself
Intrinsically, considered alone. For example, In and of itself the plan might work, but I doubt that it will be approved. It is also put simply as in itself, as in This account may be true in itself. [First half of 1600s]
in itself
lend itself to
Adapt to, be suitable for. For example, The Bible lends itself to numerous interpretations, or This plot of land lends itself to a variety of uses. [Mid-1800s]
repeat oneself
Express oneself in the same way or with the same words, as in Grandma forgets she has told us this story before and repeats herself over and over, or This architect tends to repeat himself-all his houses look alike. A well-known version of this idiom is the proverb History repeats itself, first recorded (in English) in 1561. For example, Her mother also married when she was 18-history repeats itself. [Mid-1800s]
speak for
1. Intercede for, recommend, as in He spoke for the young applicant, commending her honesty. [c. 1300]
2. Express the views of, as in I can't speak for my husband but I'd love to accept, or I don't care what Harry thinks-Speak for yourself, Joe. [c. 1300]
3. speak for itself. Be significant or self-evident, as in They haven't called us in months, and that speaks for itself. [Second half of 1700s]
4. spoken for. Ordered, engaged, or reserved, as in This lot of rugs is already spoken for, or Is this dance spoken for? This usage comes from the older verb, bespeak, meaning "to order." [Late 1600s]
speak for
v.1. To act as spokesperson for someone or something: I speak for the entire staff when I say thank you. I think these photographs will speak for themselves. Hey, speak for yourself—I'm not too old to dance! I can't speak for my competitors, but we take every precaution to ensure the customer's safety.
2. To make a reservation or request for someone or something. Chiefly used in the passive: Is this dance spoken for? That painting is already spoken for.
burn itself out
To stop burning from lack of fuel: The brush fire finally burned itself out.
Common Names:
| Name | Gender | Pronounced | Usage |
|---|
| Felicia | | fə-LEE-shə (English), fe-LEE-thyah (Spanish), fe-LEE-syah (Latin American Spanish), fe-LEE-chyah (Romanian), fe-LEE-see-ah (Swedish) | English, Spanish, Hungarian, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Late Roman |
| Annukka | | AHN-nook-kah | Finnish |
| Arvid | | - | Swedish, Norwegian, Danish |
| Sa'd | | - | Arabic |
| Martim | | - | Portuguese |
| Feidelm | | - | Irish Mythology |