You're three for three
Here is a dialogue from Dilbert:
Pointy-Haired Boss: Now let's hear what Dilbert did this week.
Dilbert: I unnecessarily duplicated Ted's work because you forgot you asked both of us to do the same task.
Pointy-Haired Boss: And how about Alice?.
Alice: You're three for three.
What does three for three mean here, or how can I parse it? She did the same task also?
I have not managed to find a definition for three for three, but apparently two for two comes from baseball and means "successful at both attempts".
phrase-meaning
asked yesterday
WilsonWilson
731212
add a comment |
Here is a dialogue from Dilbert:
Pointy-Haired Boss: Now let's hear what Dilbert did this week.
Dilbert: I unnecessarily duplicated Ted's work because you forgot you asked both of us to do the same task.
Pointy-Haired Boss: And how about Alice?.
Alice: You're three for three.
What does three for three mean here, or how can I parse it? She did the same task also?
I have not managed to find a definition for three for three, but apparently two for two comes from baseball and means "successful at both attempts".
phrase-meaning
asked yesterday
WilsonWilson
731212
add a comment |
Here is a dialogue from Dilbert:
Pointy-Haired Boss: Now let's hear what Dilbert did this week.
Dilbert: I unnecessarily duplicated Ted's work because you forgot you asked both of us to do the same task.
Pointy-Haired Boss: And how about Alice?.
Alice: You're three for three.
What does three for three mean here, or how can I parse it? She did the same task also?
I have not managed to find a definition for three for three, but apparently two for two comes from baseball and means "successful at both attempts".
phrase-meaning
asked yesterday
WilsonWilson
731212
Here is a dialogue from Dilbert:
Pointy-Haired Boss: Now let's hear what Dilbert did this week.
Dilbert: I unnecessarily duplicated Ted's work because you forgot you asked both of us to do the same task.
Pointy-Haired Boss: And how about Alice?.
Alice: You're three for three.
What does three for three mean here, or how can I parse it? She did the same task also?
I have not managed to find a definition for three for three, but apparently two for two comes from baseball and means "successful at both attempts".
phrase-meaning
phrase-meaning
asked yesterday
WilsonWilson
731212
asked yesterday
WilsonWilson
731212
asked yesterday
WilsonWilson
731212
asked yesterday
WilsonWilson
731212
asked yesterday
WilsonWilson
731212
731212
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
(number) for (number) simply means "you were successful (number) attempts out of (number) attempts"
So you could be "seven for nine" or any other combination, athough it is rarely used that way outside of sports like baseball.
In this case Dilbert basically said "Ted and I were asked the same thing so we did the thing twice" and Alice said "actually all three of us were asked the same thing and all three did the thing"
answered yesterday
BorghBorgh
1,187211
2
So she is saying something like "out of your three attempts to get the task done, you succeeded all three times"?
– Wilson
yesterday
6
As a native British English speaker, I would note that I consider "(number) for (number)" to be an American English phrase.
– AndyT
yesterday
5
In cricket "X for Y" means X runs for Y wickets, which doesn't mean the same thing (even figuratively).
– Greg
23 hours ago
8
@Wilson Note that in this context it is undesirable for the employees to have completed the work, so the three "successes" here are not actually a good outcome. Alice is being sarcastic.
– Tashus
22 hours ago
4
As Tashus said. It's more like "you've succeeded at being a terrible manager, three times". (Although, due to the fencepost problem, it's really more like two times!)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
20 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
(number) for (number) simply means "you were successful (number) attempts out of (number) attempts"
So you could be "seven for nine" or any other combination, athough it is rarely used that way outside of sports like baseball.
In this case Dilbert basically said "Ted and I were asked the same thing so we did the thing twice" and Alice said "actually all three of us were asked the same thing and all three did the thing"
answered yesterday
BorghBorgh
1,187211
2
So she is saying something like "out of your three attempts to get the task done, you succeeded all three times"?
– Wilson
yesterday
6
As a native British English speaker, I would note that I consider "(number) for (number)" to be an American English phrase.
– AndyT
yesterday
5
In cricket "X for Y" means X runs for Y wickets, which doesn't mean the same thing (even figuratively).
– Greg
23 hours ago
8
@Wilson Note that in this context it is undesirable for the employees to have completed the work, so the three "successes" here are not actually a good outcome. Alice is being sarcastic.
– Tashus
22 hours ago
4
As Tashus said. It's more like "you've succeeded at being a terrible manager, three times". (Although, due to the fencepost problem, it's really more like two times!)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
20 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
(number) for (number) simply means "you were successful (number) attempts out of (number) attempts"
So you could be "seven for nine" or any other combination, athough it is rarely used that way outside of sports like baseball.
In this case Dilbert basically said "Ted and I were asked the same thing so we did the thing twice" and Alice said "actually all three of us were asked the same thing and all three did the thing"
answered yesterday
BorghBorgh
1,187211
2
So she is saying something like "out of your three attempts to get the task done, you succeeded all three times"?
– Wilson
yesterday
6
As a native British English speaker, I would note that I consider "(number) for (number)" to be an American English phrase.
– AndyT
yesterday
5
In cricket "X for Y" means X runs for Y wickets, which doesn't mean the same thing (even figuratively).
– Greg
23 hours ago
8
@Wilson Note that in this context it is undesirable for the employees to have completed the work, so the three "successes" here are not actually a good outcome. Alice is being sarcastic.
– Tashus
22 hours ago
4
As Tashus said. It's more like "you've succeeded at being a terrible manager, three times". (Although, due to the fencepost problem, it's really more like two times!)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
20 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
(number) for (number) simply means "you were successful (number) attempts out of (number) attempts"
So you could be "seven for nine" or any other combination, athough it is rarely used that way outside of sports like baseball.
In this case Dilbert basically said "Ted and I were asked the same thing so we did the thing twice" and Alice said "actually all three of us were asked the same thing and all three did the thing"
answered yesterday
BorghBorgh
1,187211
(number) for (number) simply means "you were successful (number) attempts out of (number) attempts"
So you could be "seven for nine" or any other combination, athough it is rarely used that way outside of sports like baseball.
In this case Dilbert basically said "Ted and I were asked the same thing so we did the thing twice" and Alice said "actually all three of us were asked the same thing and all three did the thing"
answered yesterday
BorghBorgh
1,187211
answered yesterday
BorghBorgh
1,187211
answered yesterday
BorghBorgh
1,187211
answered yesterday
BorghBorgh
1,187211
1,187211
2
So she is saying something like "out of your three attempts to get the task done, you succeeded all three times"?
– Wilson
yesterday
6
As a native British English speaker, I would note that I consider "(number) for (number)" to be an American English phrase.
– AndyT
yesterday
5
In cricket "X for Y" means X runs for Y wickets, which doesn't mean the same thing (even figuratively).
– Greg
23 hours ago
8
@Wilson Note that in this context it is undesirable for the employees to have completed the work, so the three "successes" here are not actually a good outcome. Alice is being sarcastic.
– Tashus
22 hours ago
4
As Tashus said. It's more like "you've succeeded at being a terrible manager, three times". (Although, due to the fencepost problem, it's really more like two times!)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
20 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
2
So she is saying something like "out of your three attempts to get the task done, you succeeded all three times"?
– Wilson
yesterday
6
As a native British English speaker, I would note that I consider "(number) for (number)" to be an American English phrase.
– AndyT
yesterday
5
In cricket "X for Y" means X runs for Y wickets, which doesn't mean the same thing (even figuratively).
– Greg
23 hours ago
8
@Wilson Note that in this context it is undesirable for the employees to have completed the work, so the three "successes" here are not actually a good outcome. Alice is being sarcastic.
– Tashus
22 hours ago
4
As Tashus said. It's more like "you've succeeded at being a terrible manager, three times". (Although, due to the fencepost problem, it's really more like two times!)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
20 hours ago
2
2
So she is saying something like "out of your three attempts to get the task done, you succeeded all three times"?
– Wilson
yesterday
So she is saying something like "out of your three attempts to get the task done, you succeeded all three times"?
– Wilson
yesterday
6
6
As a native British English speaker, I would note that I consider "(number) for (number)" to be an American English phrase.
– AndyT
yesterday
As a native British English speaker, I would note that I consider "(number) for (number)" to be an American English phrase.
– AndyT
yesterday
5
5
In cricket "X for Y" means X runs for Y wickets, which doesn't mean the same thing (even figuratively).
– Greg
23 hours ago
In cricket "X for Y" means X runs for Y wickets, which doesn't mean the same thing (even figuratively).
– Greg
23 hours ago
8
8
@Wilson Note that in this context it is undesirable for the employees to have completed the work, so the three "successes" here are not actually a good outcome. Alice is being sarcastic.
– Tashus
22 hours ago
@Wilson Note that in this context it is undesirable for the employees to have completed the work, so the three "successes" here are not actually a good outcome. Alice is being sarcastic.
– Tashus
22 hours ago
4
4
As Tashus said. It's more like "you've succeeded at being a terrible manager, three times". (Although, due to the fencepost problem, it's really more like two times!)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
20 hours ago
As Tashus said. It's more like "you've succeeded at being a terrible manager, three times". (Although, due to the fencepost problem, it's really more like two times!)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
20 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
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