what's the meaning of "9 out of every 10 of them" in the following sentence.
There are more than 300 million people in America but a hundred and fifty
thousand last names and five thousand first names is all you need to name 9 out of every 10 of them.
9 out of 10 of them is referring to 9 out of 10 Americans. It's basically a ratio.
May 25, 2015
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While "nine out of ten" can mean literally 90% is is also a common idiom meaning "most" or "the vast majority". It is not clear from this passage which meaning is intended.
May 25, 2015
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