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0 pointspowersurge3609y ago0 comments

Hello! I don't know if English is your first language or not, but that last sentence was significantly confusing that I wanted to correct it for you and others who may read it.

The two idioms are 'child's play' & 'next to'. The words are correct synonyms but the usage is unusual enough that I read as having a totally different meaning my first time.

0 comments

danek9y ago

I was also confused by it. However I read the last sentence as the author making a meta-point by using purposefully incorrect grammar, a sort of reversal of the first sentence about c++ code compiling but leading to segfault--like an artistic statement. If it was an accident, then all the better!

marcosdumay9y ago

English is not my first language, and it is a rare construct. I thought it was correct.

Out of curiosity, how should it read?

Crespyl9y ago

I believe the common form is "X is child's play (next to|compared to) Y".

etherealG9y ago

Don't worry too much, I always enjoy little gotcha's like this. It's like your brain has to think twice to understand the meaning, but in the end it does. It's really fun and colourful to read half modified phrases and that's how language evolves.

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