English Words :: The Results are In

The meaning of this phrase is easy to understand...

The "results" of something like a check or test (medical exam, school exam, mechanic's check of your car, etc.) are now ready for you to see.

But this straightforward expression has come to be used for other situations as well...

If, for example, someone is giving a presentation that goes badly, a friend might jokingly say something like:

"The results are in... You bombed!" (To bomb means to do very badly at some test or event.)

For a positive situation, a guy might excitedly say to a friend after a first date with a woman:

"The results are in! She likes me!"

When you don't yet know the results of something, you can simply say that "the results aren't in yet."

And when you have results that don't tell you anything positive or negative, you can say "the results are inconclusive." (There's no "conclusion" you can see.)

This last phrase is something you'll hear often at a doctor's office when a test doesn't give a doctor any useful information to share. So another test might be required.

I'm sharing this phrase today because it's both common AND timely...

Lately, many people have been interested in knowing more about where they come from... This is a phrase referring to someone's family history and bloodline...

So, I created a whole new Lesson Set about it! :)

When you're up on (knowledgeable about) the latest news, topics and vocabulary, you understand conversations easily and communicate confidently...