compare notes

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English

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Verb

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compare notes (third-person singular simple present compares notes, present participle comparing notes, simple past and past participle compared notes)

  1. (idiomatic) To exchange information and ideas about related experiences.
    • 1960 January, G. Freeman Allen, “"Condor"—British Railways' fastest freight train”, in Trains Illustrated, page 47:
      Two minutes are allowed "Condor" at Carlisle, and those involved had no time to compare notes on the state of the nation, the management, the unions or the racing calendar.
    • 2005, Judith Rogers, The Disabled Woman's Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, page 194:
      Priscilla's only problem in the first trimester was fatigue. She said, "It helped to compare notes with women who had many more discomforts than I did."
    • 2009, Julian Barnes, Vanessa Guignery, Ryan Roberts, Conversations with Julian Barnes, page 3:
      They cultivate rootlessness and cynicism, shout ironic encouragement from the sidelines of football fields, compare notes on the boring ineffectuality of adults, compare notes on ventures in piss-taking, indolently lay sardonic plans for the future.
    • 2014, Irving Fisher, The Money Illusion:
      It follows, of course, that when people from different countries with different moneys compare notes they find that their ideas are in conflict.

See also

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