lots, heaps

lots, heaps
In the meaning of "a great many" or "a great deal," these words are informal: "lots of trouble," "a lot of money," "heaps of food," "heaps of good times." When used in this sense (an indefinitely large amount), both lot and lots are singular when appearing alone and plural when followed by of and a plural noun: "This is a lot." "Help yourself to the food; lots is here." "Lots of girls are at the party." Lot and lots require a singular verb when followed by of and a singular noun: "This is a lot of money." "There is lots of news on the radio tonight." Nearly always, many or much can be substituted for a lot, lot of, and lots of. Meaning "all," "the lot" is informal: "I'll disregard the lot." Heaps is at least as casual as lots when used to mean "a great deal." Avoid saying "heaps of people" and "a heap of misery" unless you are striving to create a homespun, folksy atmosphere. Heap is slang for an old run-down automobile, but rattletrap is a more colorful term.

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • heaps — See lots, heaps …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • lots — See lots, heaps …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • heaps — • There was heaps of time Mary Wesley, 1983 represents the normal colloquial idiom when the word following heaps of is a singular or mass noun (and the same is true of loads of, lots of, masses of, and similar expressions). But when the following …   Modern English usage

  • heaps — n. a large quantity. See {heap}, senses 2 and 3; as, he made heaps of money in the stock market. Syn: tons, dozens, lots, piles, scores, stacks, loads, rafts, slews, wads, oodles, gobs, scads, lashings. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • heaps of time — lots of time, plenty of time …   English contemporary dictionary

  • heaps — I noun a large number or amount made lots of new friends she amassed stacks of newspapers • Syn: ↑tons, ↑dozens, ↑lots, ↑piles, ↑scores, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • lots — I noun a large number or amount (Freq. 10) made lots of new friends she amassed stacks of newspapers • Syn: ↑tons, ↑dozens, ↑heaps, ↑piles, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • gob — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) n. lump, dab, dollop (see density); (pl.) piles, lots, heaps, oodles. See multitude. II (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun 1. An irregularly shaped mass of indefinite size: chunk, clod, clump, hunch, lump1,… …   English dictionary for students

  • load — {{11}}load (n.) that which is laid upon a person or beast, burden, c.1200, from O.E. lad way, course, carrying, from P.Gmc. *laitho (Cf. O.H.G. leita, Ger. leite, O.N. leið way, course ); related to O.E. lædan to guide, from PIE *leit to go forth …   Etymology dictionary

  • a pretty penny — informal I bet that boat cost you a pretty penny Syn: a lot of money, millions, billions, a king s ransom; informal a (small) fortune, lots/heaps of money, a mint, a killing, a bundle, a tidy sum, big money, big bucks, an arm and a leg …   Thesaurus of popular words

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