case in half

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "case in half" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to describe dividing something into two parts, but it lacks clarity and proper context. Example: "To make the task easier, we decided to case the project in half and assign each part to a different team."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Five years later, the jury awarded us £25,000 damages but the judge said we'll split the £7m cost of the case in half, so our damages went towards that.

The Guardian

The mood in the offices was bright yesterday, as the group savored its victory in what some legal scholars are calling the most important civil liberties case in half a century.

The New York Times

This was the case in Half the Picture, The Colour of Justice, Justifying War (from the Hutton inquiry into the death of David Kelly, the government's Iraqi weapons expert), Bloody Sunday, and Tactical Questioning, on the death of Baha Mousa, the Iraqi hotel receptionist who died while in the custody of British troops.

The Guardian

Meanwhile, last fall, the police and local district attorney made public their own sweeping investigations into contentions of evidence-tampering, false testimony and brutality among officers in the gritty Rampart division on the western edge of downtown, in the city's worst corruption case in half a century.

The New York Times

This was the case in half the trials, which were again randomly mixed.

Plosone

It may be that in the absence of autopsy, as was the case in half of our sample, the COD as told by the care provider may be considered as unreliable as parental belief about what caused their baby's death.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

This is the case in Half-Blood Blues, where jazz musicians in the 1920s travel to Berlin to ply their trade in the cabarets.

The Guardian - Books

By September, he said, he wants to cut the backlog of disciplinary cases in half.

The New York Times

In the applications shown below, we chose the largest thresholds that had captured at least 90% of cases in half of the previous influenza seasons.

Clinical Infectious Diseases

Relevant to the UK screening programme is the UK, Australia, New Zealand (UK/ANZ) trial (Cuzick et al, 2011), in which after WLE of screen-detected DCIS, without any further treatment, relapse in the breast occurred in about 19% of cases, in half of which the relapse was invasive.

British Journal of Cancer

Peroxiredoxin 2 was positive in only one out of three cases, NCF2 in half of cases, and TPM4 in two out of three cases.

British Journal of Cancer

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "case in half" in formal writing. Instead, opt for clearer alternatives like "split in two" or "divide in half" to ensure your message is easily understood.

Common error

A common error is assuming "case in half" is a standard idiom for division. To avoid this, always double-check your phrasing and consider whether a more direct term like "split" or "halve" would be clearer.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "case in half" primarily functions as a verbal phrase attempting to describe an action of division or reduction. However, based on Ludwig AI, its unconventional usage renders it grammatically questionable and potentially confusing.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "case in half" is not a standard or grammatically sound English expression. While the intention may be to convey a division or reduction by half, Ludwig AI indicates that it is considered incorrect and lacks clarity. It's advisable to use more precise and widely accepted alternatives like "split in two", "divide in half", or "halve the case" to ensure effective communication. Although examples can be found across diverse sources, including science, news media, and wikis, this does not validate its correctness, rather points to potential misapplications. Therefore, writers should avoid this phrasing in formal or professional contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

halve the case

Directly indicates reducing something to half its original size or amount.

split the case

Focuses on dividing the contents or elements within the case.

cut the case in two

Emphasizes the physical act of cutting or separating into two pieces.

divide the case

Similar to splitting, but can also imply a more organized or structured division.

bisect the case

Implies cutting or dividing exactly into two equal parts.

reduce the case by 50 percent

More explicit and quantitative way of expressing a reduction by half.

partition the case

Suggests creating separate sections or compartments within the case.

compartmentalize the case

Focuses on organizing the contents of the case into distinct compartments.

diminish the case by half

Emphasizes the reduction in size or importance of the case.

downsize the case

Indicates making the case smaller, typically in terms of physical dimensions or scope.

FAQs

What does "case in half" mean?

The phrase "case in half" is not a standard or grammatically correct expression in English. It's likely intended to mean dividing something into two parts, but it lacks clarity. Consider using alternatives like "split in two" or "divide in half".

How can I use "split in two" instead of "case in half"?

Instead of saying "case in half", you can say "split the case in two", which clearly means to divide the content or items inside a container into two parts. See also "split in two".

Is it correct to say "halve the case"?

Yes, "halve the case" is a grammatically correct and understandable alternative. It directly implies reducing something related to the case by half. Another way of saying it is "divide the case".

What's the difference between "case in half" and "divide in half"?

"Case in half" is not a standard English phrase and is unlikely to be understood. "Divide in half", on the other hand, is a common and clear way to say something is being separated into two equal parts. See also "divide in half".