ENGLISCH/877: Questions to Mrs Gobbledygook (177) No two ways? (SB)

QUESTIONS   TO   MRS   GOBBLEDYGOOK

177 There are not two ways about it!

Dear Mrs Gobbledygook

...
I would like to know more about the expression:

"There are no two ways about it."

Yours sincerely

Samantha O. (Kenya)

*

Dear Mrs O.,

The phrase you were mentioning is a commonly used expression, particularly in British English. If you say,

"there are no two ways about it"

you mean, there is just one possible way of understanding a situation. There is no doubt at all by the situation. Here is an example of how British people use this idiom:

Mrs Brisby goes to see a general practitioner (GP) at the local health centre and the doctor comes up with some rather surprising news. The conversation might go as the following:

"Well Doctor, do you know what's wrong with me?"

"Mrs Brisby, there is nothing wrong with you at all. You are perfectly healthy. I've got some good news for you. You're pregnant. You are going to have a baby."

"Are you sure, Doctor. Is it possible, that you have made a mistake?"

"No, there are no two ways about it, Mrs Brisby. you're two month pregnant."

So the expression "There are no two ways about it" means that there is only one way of understanding the situation (or the results in this case). There is no possibility of uncertainty or doubt. There are no two ways about it.

And if you have any more questions, you are very welcome to write again, there are no two ways about that, I hope...

Yours

Miranda Gobbledygook

30 November 2009