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Welcome to English in a Minute!
A stone has a very hard surface. To set something into one would not be easy. So what do you think “set in stone” means?
Speaker A: Dan, what are you doing this weekend?
Speaker B: I might go hiking with a friend. But I’m not totally sure yet.
Speaker A: Well, if those plans aren’t set in stone, my friend Kristen wants you to come with us to the Funky Boys concert!
Speaker B: You mean beautiful, funny, smart Kristen? Yeah, I’m free.
Speaker A: I thought so.
If your plans or decisions are set in stone, it is difficult or even impossible to make changes. If plans are not set in stone, they are less firm and easily changed.
And that’s English in a Minute!
*This article has been edited and reprinted from VOA Learning English with permission from Voice of America (VOA) for use in English language materials.
English 
日本語