a few days ago, on this forum, I replied to a question and the person who asked the question replied to my answer the following:
I would request some moderator to shed some light on this one please
and last night, as I was watching a movie, I heard a character saying: “let me shed some light on that” (they were a few people in a dark place, trying to find out what was making noise, as they were approaching, the guy holding a flashlight said the previous sentence).
So, I see that it can be used in two different meanings, but I don’t really understand it!
Does it mean “to clear things up” for the first sentence and “enlighten” for the second one?
Literally it means shine some light on something but in the figurative sense as it was used in the forum it means give some kind of explanation for something that is not clear. It’s often used with words like ‘mystery’. If a child disappears as was the case for an English couple in the spring this year in Portugal when their young daughter was taken from her bedroom and ever since they have asked the public to help them ‘shed some light on’ what actually happened. It doesn’t mean give a full explanation for a mystery but try to give some idea oof what might have happened.
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The character in the movie was making a pun. ‘To shed light on’ = make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear. The character was suggesting he would do that…and also shed (= to impart or release; give or send forth light, sound, fragrance, influence, etc.). the light of his flashlight on the source of the noise.
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