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The idiom, "It is easier said than done," is the full version. The sentence structure is not too unusual. It is the use of said alone as a predicate past participle that makes it a bit odd. But it is not the only use of said as a predicate. Consider the opposing idiom "No sooner said than done."
This idiom has the same structure as this comparison:
This shirt is more blue than green.
You could also exchange the simple adjectives for predicate past participles:
Champagne is better sipped than gulped.
If you are struggling with the meaning of the idiom, it can be paraphrased as "It is easier to describe a result than to achieve it."
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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