"Subsidiary" means "subordinate to." It is most commonly used in business: if Company A owns Company B, then Company B is a subsidiary of Company A.
Subsidiary Company Often used for tax avoidance, by "entrepreneurs". The subsidiary is a broom cupboard in the Cayman Islands, offering "services". This company mysteriously makes most of the parent company's profits. The money thus saved on taxation is used to fund purchases of any emerging companies that threaten competition, usually at a vastly inflated price. Such practises are condemned by Western leaders, who declare their anger at the injustice of it, and warn that they will be even more angry should it persist.
Idiom. If you are left in the dust, your competitor has sped off to the goal, leaving you choking in the dust he has kicked up. Your competitor is way ahead, and you are left beaten and humiliated.
"Helluva" is a way to write "hell of a." This phrase has many meanings. It intensifies whatever you are describing. That's a hell of a project (a helluva project): That's a big, difficult, impressive project - depending on how you mean it. You did a hell of a job (you did a helluva job): You did the job very well. That's one hell of a mountain (one helluva mountain): That's a very big mountain You cooked a hell of a dinner, hon (a helluva dinner): Dinner was terrific!
On the hook. New one to me. On a meat hook possibly, like "dead meat". This usage of miffed is understatement. The grammatical term, seldom used, is litotes. "I'm not particularly happy" is understatement too. Miffed means slightly annoyed. If as President of an airline, he was really only "miffed" about poor sales, it would be time for him to find a new job.
"On the hook for..." means that you have become obligated to someone, to an organization, etc. If your boss's secretary comes around at Christmas time and says that you are "on the hook for ten dollars," she means that you are expected to contribute ten bucks to provide refreshments at the office Christmas party.
Understatement. In the UK, used in the phrase "typical British understatement". Example. Soldier in WWI. Both legs blown off by shell. Bleeding to death. Smiles bravely. "It's only a scratch".
The first words are descriptive words. The second are their plurals. Musics is an exception. Musics is the plural of music, but is rarely used outside of academia. The word music can mean all music, so most people say "The music of Asia" rather than "the musics of Asia". I would avoid saying "musics".
Musics is a technical term meaning more than one type of music. Pop and Classical could be called musics. You would be correct to use the word musics to describe them, but the word is so little used that people would think you were making a mistake. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
A good assumption, although I've never been able to find a history for this idiom. We also hang clothes on hooks so they're ready when we need them.
"Musics" is never used, so don't say or write it. "Music" refers equally to an individual composition and to all of the music ever created. It is a mass noun, not a countable noun: never say "a music" or "two musics." "Culture" can refer to all human culture, but it also refers to specific cultures such as Chinese culture, ancient Egyptian culture, or contemporary Afro-American culture. It is used both as a mass noun ("ancient culture") and a countable noun ("the many different cultures of the Native Americans"). "Wine" can be used as a mass noun: Wine is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages and is mentioned many times in the Bible. But it is also used as a countable noun: I prefer the fruity white wines from Northern California to the dry white wines that are more popular in the USA.
It behooves us to reconsider. Can I say "It is imperative on us" or "It is incumbent on" ? Same meaning ?
It is imperative for us. It has a similar meaning to It is incumbent on us, but not identical. I take the first to indicate that it is something we must do, largely for our own benefit/protection. Incumbent suggests we have a responsibility to do it for others.
