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nozturk
What does "Ours is not to reason why." mean? and When do you say it?
Dec 22, 2010 7:56 PM
Answers · 3
3
It basically means that we shouldn't question or analyse a situation but accept the decision. It's usually said when someone above us (eg. management, owner, etc) has made a decision which seems dubious or just strange. Instead of trying to find a reason, we simply say "our is not to reason why" and leave it at that.
Ours = our part in this. So "ours is not to reason why" can be expanded to: "our part in this situation is not to search for a reason as to why it is so".
December 23, 2010
2
Nono nozturk! Don't leave Italki for Google. Please ask here. It helps others to learn nice expressions. As for me, I've never run into most of them. By the way, where do you get them?:)
December 22, 2010
1
There's this wonderful thing called Google, which will answer all your questions about idioms and save you the trouble of posting them here. I'll get you started:
http://www.idiomdictionary.com/definition/theirs-ours-yours-etc-not-to-reason-why.html
http://www.idiomsite.com/
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/americanidioms/index.html
December 22, 2010
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nozturk
Language Skills
English, Turkish
Learning Language
English
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