by and large | Idiomator

Meaning: (idiomatic,focus)Mostly;generally;all things considered.Synonyms:for the most part,generally,mostly,on the whole,usually;see alsoThesaurus:mostlyIt was,by and large, an unexceptional presentation.2023February 23, Michael Levenson, quotingSheila Williams, “Science Fiction Magazines Battle a Flood of Chatbot-Generated Stories”, inThe New York Times‎[1],→ISSN:“The people doing thisby and largedon’t have any real concept of how to tell a story, and neither do any kind of A.I.,” Ms. Williams said on Wednesday.2024May 29, Philip Haigh, “The digital revolution and the switch to in-cab signalling”, inRAIL, number1010, page29:Akers claims that ETCS signalling renewals are roughly 50% of the cost of conventional renewals. If nothing else, this is an important reason for NR to be keen to switch. "There's no rocket science or magic in that, there's just physically less to deliver," he says. "There are no trackside signals. Yes, you have balises and marker boards, and you still have train detection, butby and largethere is simply less to deliver.; (idiomatic,obsolete)Inone way or another.1769,Southern Literary Messenger, volume XVII, number183, page 2:Miss Betsey, a charming frigate, that will do honour to our country, if you take herby and large.1833, John Neal,The Down-Easters‎[2], volume 1,New York: Harper & Brothers:[…]a man who who has heard of thebiter bit, feels rather perplexed on the whole, take itby-and-large[…]; (nautical)To sail alternately into the wind and in the same direction as the wind.1578, William Bourne,Inventions or Devises‎[3],London:[…]For to make a Ship to drawe or goe but little into the water, and to hold a good winde, and to ſaile well bothby and large, were very neceſſarie, and eſpecially in theſe our ſhallowe Seas,[…][…]To make a ship that draws little water, holds good wind, and sails well bothby and largewas very necessary, especially in our shallow seas,[…]

Examples:

EN: - But taken by and large, I wouldn't change it.
ES: Pero no lo cambiaría por nada.
EN: Well, uh, would you say, taken by and large... that you've been a good boy on the whole since you've grown up?
ES: ¿Dirías que has sido un buen chico desde que te hiciste mayor?
EN: We've got a tough job on our hands and, by and large, I think we're handling it darn well.
ES: Nos encomendaron una labor difícil... y en general lo estamos haciendo lo mejor posible.
EN: Oh, I've been kicked in the pants a couple of times, but... by and large I've had a pretty fair country average.
ES: En ocasiones me han pegado fuerte, pero... En general he tenido un promedio bueno de aciertos.
EN: Well sir, it's pretty good by and large.
ES: Señor, es bastante bueno, en líneas generales.
EN: It was, by and large, a pleasant assignment, except for one thing.
ES: Se trataba, y con creces, de un cargo agradable, con una única excepción.
EN: Well, not in every way, you understand. Uh... by and large, the people are the same.
ES: Hechos históricos que sé como ocurrieron de alguna manera, según esta enciclopedia, ...no ocurrieron, o lo hicieron de forma distinta.
EN: "But by and large We are a marvelous sex
ES: 'Pero generalmente somos un sexo maravilloso
EN: We may have our ups and downs, but by and large, we're pretty happy.
ES: Podemos tener altibajos pero después de todo somos felices.
EN: You should know, my dearest Katerina Matveyevna, that to date, the class battles have been completed by and large, and the day of worldwide liberation is coming.
ES: Deberías de saber, mi querida Katerina Matveyevna, que hasta la fecha, la lucha de clases se ha establecido en todas partes, y el día de la liberación mundial se acerca.
EN: Sure, you get a few screwballs. But, by and large, they're mostly sincere people.
ES: Claro, te tocarán algunos chiflados pero por lo general, es gente sincera.
EN: I think by and large she and I Have managed quite well.
ES: Creo que, en general, nos llevamos bastante bien.
EN: Um, I think the simplest way for me to describe my attitude to the whole question is that it seems that sexual politics, by and large, has something to do with the act of fucking being, um, to the advantage of the one who fucks and to the disadvantage of the one who is fucked.
ES: Creo que la forma más sencilla de describir mi actitud ante toda esta cuestión, es que parece que la política sexual, en general, tiene algo que ver con el acto de follar, siendo una ventaja para el que folla... y una desventaja para el que es follado.
EN: Personally, I find mechanics are bad news, by and large.
ES: Por lo general las mecánicas son malas noticias.
EN: There is one group of the primates that is, by and large, two-legged.
ES: Pero hay un grupo de primates que son bípedos en general.

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