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by some way
"Name three things to do in Tulsa"

Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

answer looking for a problem

English answer:

Ingenious method or device which has no obvious purpose, but for which such a purpose might some day be found.

Added to glossary by Rabeya Akhter
Mar 12, 2008 17:52
16 yrs ago
English term

answer looking for a problem

Non-PRO English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
"Micowave has been an answer looking for a problem." Could anyone please explain what does it mean?
Responses
4 +5 I know what it generally means, but I don't see that it makes much sense here
4 -2 no need to look for its problems
Change log

Mar 12, 2008 18:08: Tony M changed "Field" from "Art/Literary" to "Other" , "Field (specific)" from "Linguistics" to "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters"

Mar 12, 2008 18:08: Tony M changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Discussion

GaryG Mar 12, 2008:
This reminds me of the joke, "Research is so advanced at the [U.S.] National Institutes of Health that they've developed a cure for which there is no disease"!
Leticia Klemetz, CT Mar 12, 2008:
Could you provide context, please? Out of context it's hard to get it right.

Responses

+5
6 mins
Selected

I know what it generally means, but I don't see that it makes much sense here

An answer looking for a problem is some ingenious method or device which has no obvious purpose, but for which such a purpose might some day be found. But microwaves are obviously extremely useful, so I don't see why anyone should say this about them.

Or do you really mean "micowave" as you printed it? I Googled it and couldn't find anything except obvious typos for microwave.
Note from asker:
Thanks, Jack. It is "microwave" and was written shortly after the microwave technology was invented. Sorry for the typo.
Peer comment(s):
agree AKhram
1 min
Thank you.
agree Tony M : Microwave technology in general was developed before most people had any kind of appreciation of the possibilites it might offer; this was a case where the availability of the technology led to applications being found, instead of the other way round.
9 mins
Thank you. I didn't know that.
agree Can Altinbay : Good point, Tony!
28 mins
Thank you.
agree Vicky Nash
45 mins
Thank you
agree V_Nedkov
6 days
Thank you.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you Jack!"
-2
4 mins

no need to look for its problems

Microwaving (use of microwave ovens) provides practical solutions, yet a lot of people insist in finding the negative sides to it, or side effects. I think the writer here is defending the microwave technology use, and complains that there is no need to look for its problematic sides.

(which I, personally, am aware it has). Hope it helps. Does this fit the context?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 mins (2008-03-12 18:00:56 GMT)
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I think it still fits, if it's for the microwave technology... It is also used in cellphones for example (convenient, but cancer-inducing)
Note from asker:
Its not the microwave oven, its the microwave technology in general.
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : I think you are completely misinterpreting this very idiomatic expression. / There is really no doubt, it's a set expression, and no amount of context could make it mean anything else.
13 mins
I see your comment about the other answer, and it also sounds good to me. Thing is, without a context it's possible to interpret it in many ways. Thanks for your comment.
disagree Can Altinbay : Tony is right, and the expression means what it means. I don't see how context could possibly affect its meaning.
31 mins
Something went wrong...
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