I'm confused about this phrase 'put two and two together', if 'two' is considered a single number/value or amount how can we say this? Usually 'put together' involves different things, how can we put one thing together with itself?

Is it really saying 'put two things together'? And we just use the number and ignore the thing, like saying 'we are two'? Is it just an old fashioned way of talking about number?

asked Nov 20, 2022 at 13:32

4

The informal idiom 'put two and two together' usually means 'draw an obvious conclusion from what is known or evident'. Because such a conclusion is an obvious one, we compare it to a very simple arithmetic operation, adding two to two.

There is no particular need for 'two' or 'four' of anything to be involved. Drawing an obvious conclusion is being compared to a childishly simple arithmetic task.

I saw the dog looking happy, and the sausages gone from the table, and put two and two together.

Note: we often say that someone 'put two and two together and made five' if they drew a wrong, hasty, or unfounded conclusion.

Meaning of put two and two together in English

put two and two together

idiom informal

to guess the truth about a situation from what you have seen or heard:

"How did you know they were having an affair?" "I'd seen them out together a couple of times, so I just put two and two together."

Put two and two together (Cambridge Dictionary)

answered Nov 20, 2022 at 14:34

It's just the pure numbers.

We sometimes say "together" when we are talking about adding or multiplying, especially when this is one step in a longer calculation:

Add thirteen and fifteen together.

Multiply the numbers in the first and second columns together, and then add the number from the third column.

We don't usually use "put" in this context, but we might if we are talking to a child.

I think in the idiom put two and two together, there is a blend of the idea of a simple sum ("add two and two") and the idea of putting pieces of evidence together and reaching a conclusion.

answered Nov 20, 2022 at 16:51

2

It's simply referring to addition.

You add two and two. Another way to say this is that you put two and two 'together'.

Imagine you are trying to explain addition to a child. You could take two sets of two beans, and when you have put them together you have some beans : four.

answered Nov 20, 2022 at 13:36

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