The catch-phrases tag has no wiki summary.
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“Make it so!” - where does it come from, how does it “feel” for native speakers?
The catchphrase from Star Trek captain Jean-Luc Picard "Make it so!" was first used in "Encounter At Farpoint" (28 September 1987) and thereafter in many episodes and films, instructing a crew ...
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1answer
80 views
Synonyms for the phrase “stop at nothing”
I am writing a report about someone and would like to convey the sense that he was desperate for success and overly ambitious. I've used phrases like "stop at nothing" to capture the ambition and the ...
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3answers
130 views
How can dictionaries be tyrants? [closed]
Sometimes you might hear the phrase, tyranny of the dictionary Is there a way to express succinctly just what that means?
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2answers
176 views
How to use the expression “you love it” [closed]
This question builds off of another question (Meaning of fck you) but my question pertains to the expression "you love it". Here are three examples of its usage.
1] From Youth in Revolt (Youth in ...
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2answers
6k views
Origin of “I see, said the blind man, as he waved his wooden leg”
"I see", said the blind man, as he waved his wooden leg.
is an expression used by someone on whom comprehension has just dawned, or a catch-phrase addressed to that person. Sometimes it can be ...
7
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2answers
666 views
Origin of “they don't know they're born”?
Practising today for my forthcoming role as radgie gadgie, I was having a little rant about modern youth: "they don't know they're born!"
This seems to me rather a strange phrase to describe someone ...
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5answers
3k views
Word for seeing both sides of an argument
This feeling can often be paralyzing in that you see valid points on either side; makes you not able to choose a side.
Seeing can also be understanding, supporting, taking active part in.
I'm ...
4
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2answers
131 views
phrase origin: “sent packing”
What is the origin of the phrase "sent packing," which is used when someone gets the boot? I have seen it used a lot but would like to know where it originally came from.
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1answer
282 views
What's the origin of the meme “and so can you”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Please explain “I Am America (And So Can You!)”
Stephen's Colbert book is titled "I am America, and so can you." I think the phrase "and so can you" is a ...
7
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3answers
384 views
When did we start talking about “going viral”?
I am trying to determine when the phrase "going viral" was first used. Similarly, when did the phrases "viral video" and "viral marketing" get their start? I have looked online at various sites, but ...
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2answers
1k views
What does the phrase “You're out of your element” mean?
I heard it in The Big Lebowski movie, when Walter yells at Donny, "shut the fuck up, Donny"; then he exclaims, "You're out of your element!".
6
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2answers
564 views
Why does one “laugh to see a pudding crawl”?
You'd laugh to see a pudding crawl is a catch-phrase aimed at someone who is easily amused or is suffering a fit of uncontrollable hilarity. Does anyone know how this phrase came into being?
I'm not ...
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2answers
1k views
What is “o-matic”? [closed]
I found "o-matic" in my dashboard of wordpress.com. There is "Read-o-Matic". And there are some news from staff. What does it mean? I feel it's "recommended to read", isn't it?
8
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2answers
4k views
Why does one “stand there like a lemon”?
I was standing around like a lemon the other day (meaning, standing doing nothing when I ought to have been a little more active) when it occurred to me to wonder, why does one stand there like a ...
4
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1answer
263 views
Origin of “Everybody is smarter than anybody”?
Who said this:
Everybody is smarter than anybody.
I have been trying to find the origin of this phrase with no success. I think I first heard it from a speaker on an IT subject (but I am not ...
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4answers
2k views
What is the story behind the phrase 'as it were'? Where did it come from?
This is a question my High School English teacher could not answer 20-odd years ago and every time I encounter it, it bugs me. I only know what it means in terms of other phrases such as 'per se'.
I ...
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3answers
9k views
Where did the expression 'playing the world's smallest violin' come from?
Where did the expression 'playing the world's smallest violin' come from?
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2answers
927 views
Why did this Brit say “took a punt”?
Recently listening to a podcast, I heard someone (of unknown British origin) use 'take a punt' in the sense of 'take a chance.' Perhaps this is due to punting in American English referring to American ...
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5answers
701 views
Are “zugzwang”, “catch-22” and “catch-33” synonyms?
Are these words synonyms?
zugzwang — a situation where one player is put at a disadvantage because he has to make a move when he would prefer to pass and make no move
catch-22 — a ...
3
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1answer
439 views
Why “off to hell in a handcart”?
I can understand the meaning of the phrase off to hell..., but I was wondering why, of all the possible vehicles that may have been chosen, it came to be in a handcart?
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2answers
2k views
What are hidden meanings in RIP over Rip? [closed]
Why were all the occurrences of the "Rip" the original question
What other expressions and sayings do you have as an alternative to ‘Rip Van Winkle meets Facebook.’?
were upgraded to ...
4
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1answer
605 views
What other expressions and sayings do you have as an alternative to ‘Rip Van Winkle meets Facebook.’?
In today’s (Feb.10) article titled Out of Touch, Out of Time written by Thomas L. Friedman, I found a really cool phrase, this is Rip Van Winkle meets Facebook, which I understand describes Hosni ...
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3answers
365 views
What do “The great whatever this is,” “It can’t double dip if it never comes back up.”mean?
The surreal world in the New York Times article depicted by a seasoned editor at Harper’s Magazine who was laid off recently and experiencing bitter world, under the title, ‘A Beginner’s Guide to ...
0
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1answer
847 views
One-step Stop or One-stop Shop?
"Foobar: Your one-step stop for assorted candies."
"Foobar: Your one-stop shop for assorted candies."
I am really confused about which one sounds right. I've heard the second one before, but came ...
6
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1answer
305 views
Why fiddlesticks?
"Fiddlesticks" is used as a mild expletive or to express disbelief. Does anyone know why?
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3answers
825 views
“After a fashion”
What is the meaning of the phrase "after a fashion"? I take it that the word fashion has different connotations here than its usual meaning.
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2answers
590 views
What's the meaning of 'TRWTF '?
TRWTF is they were running as root, at a nuclear sciences research facility!
TRWTF is that the World Cup was in South Africa.
What's the detailed meaning of the above sentences?
How many ...
6
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2answers
4k views
Where did “You know what thought did!” come from?
"You know what thought did" is a catch-phrase addressed to someone who has just made a stupid mistake and attempted to excuse himself by saying "But I thought..."
Does anyone know the origin of this ...
