Big, grande. Es la palabra más empleada para referirse al tamaño y la extensión de objetos concretos. Large, es más formal y great es mucho más imponente e incluso poético: hablamos de a big tree, o a large tree o a great sequoia.
Cuando tratamos de grados o qualidades empleamos great: great beauty, Alexander the Great, a great mistake, a great novel, y aunque se emplea también big, en el caso de Alexander the Big, o a big novel, se referirían a lo grande que son físicamente.
Great, se emplea para fama, cantidades, seriedad, relevancia, notabilidad: Napoleon was great, a great decisión, a great expense.
Desgraciadamente y en lenguaje común y corriente todos estos matices se diluyen y se intercambian de manera notable (a large man was found floating…). Pero:
Peter has a big mouth. Mary has big tits. I live in a big house. Write the note in big letters. He’s a big boy now. Napoleon was not a big man but he was a great man. Big brother.
A large tract of land. A large family. A large number of sheep. Great (big) discounts. A large (big) contribution.
A great deal of money. He has a great mind. Great joy. Frederic the Great, they are great friends. Great! A great mistake.
Napoleon was a great man but he was not a big man. He’s a great chess player. Mary has great tits (estupendas, no grandes.).
Great! Se traduce por ¡genial!
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