What's the fuss about context?
Context and examples are crucial in linguistics. Where did you read the expression—in a novel, in a newspaper, in a scientific or technical document? Or did you hear the expression somewhere—on the television, on the radio, during a conversation with a friend? Otherwise, what idea are you trying to express, and under what circumstances? What is the general topic? If your question concerns a passage from a written work, the title, author, and date may be relevant. The sentences that precede and follow the bit you need help with will often shed light on your difficulty; please provide them if you can, accompanied by a link to the full, written source text (if available).
