Clear
Eudora Thao
2020-12-31 06:12
The next best thing American noun phrase
We could use some good ol 'punctuation to our benefit if we wanted to make it less ambiguous in English:
The next- best thing = the second best thing
The next best thing = the best new thing
Something is not what you really want but the best alternative way or thing you can have or do.
I'm really craving for some pizza; unfortunately it's sold out, so I guess this burger is the next best thing.
My shirt has a hole on the shoulder, so I've been using the next best thing—my new one.
In the early 1990s, the term became popular, but earlier uses date from the first decades of the 20th century.
Do you see anything wrong?
