Tagged Questions
1
vote
2answers
64 views
Evolution of “push somebody's buttons” and “know what buttons to push”
Colloquially speaking, "to push somebody's buttons" means to irritate or annoy the person. And, "know what buttons to push" means to know what to do to get people to act the way you want.
I can't ...
-2
votes
1answer
98 views
Is “all of your everything” common English?
Is the phrase “all of your everything” proper English? It seems to mean “all of your belongings”, but what special connotations does this phrase have?
It can be found here but the search engine of ...
3
votes
3answers
390 views
How do you say to “connect nails with heads”?
I was chatting with a non native speaker and they said "we will connect nails with heads" or something along that line, and asked if that was the right way to say it in English. I knew what he meant: ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Proper use of the phrase “of all time”
I have a client who insists on using the following sentence in his web site:
Lance Armstrong is the most successful American bike racer of all times.
I think that "of all times" should be "of ...
42
votes
11answers
3k views
Idiom: People caring about minor stuff while something terrible is happening
Imagine a situation in which the whole place is on fire, a bomb is about to explode, everyone is running for their lives and someone is checking his looks on the mirror... pretty inappropriate for the ...
4
votes
12answers
2k views
Is there an idiom for people who boast too much?
I am looking for idioms or informal/slang/colloquial expression for some people that make you think that they are able of building a skyscraper, constructing a spaceship, playing the piano better than ...
0
votes
1answer
312 views
Why do we say “… by [date/time]”?
What's the origin of the use of by to indicate at/on or before or no(t) later than?
Examples:
Best if used by 8/24/2011.
I'll be there by 6:30.
8
votes
1answer
307 views
Where did this usage of “something” originate: “I need a nap something terrible”?
I need a nap something awful!
I know what this means, but I could never understand it: it's not easier to say, it's not more efficient, and it doesn't make sense! When was it started (and why)?
4
votes
3answers
1k views
Where did the phrase “shut up” as an expression of disbelief or amazement originate?
I recently heard shut up used according to this definition in Urban dictionary.
shut·up (shuht-up)
--interjection
1. An expression of disbelief.
2. Amazement; astonishment.
I've only ...
5
votes
3answers
4k views
“Going to go” vs “going to”?
My significant other tells me that I'm not "going to go" to the shops, I'm "going to" the shops, and beats me mercilessly when I say that.
Is this not correct? I might not be going to the shops until ...
1
vote
8answers
2k views
Could you name some numbers that have a special meaning in English, like 666? [closed]
The question "What does the term “86'd” relate to?" made me wonder what similar cases we have in English. I'd like to know some other numbers that have a commonly understood meaning beyond their use ...
1
vote
2answers
385 views
What does “trigger-happy on broken windows” mean?
What does this expression mean:
to be "trigger-happy on broken windows"
3
votes
2answers
243 views
Is “you've coming from” a colloquialism?
In the Take That song, Never Forget, the lyrics run "Never forget where you've coming from". Was that a mistake, or is it a colloquialism (or something else) to say "you've" instead of "you're" in ...
12
votes
3answers
6k views
Which is the correct idiom: “First thing's first” or “First things first”?
I've gotten into a debate over which usage of an apostrophe in the phrase "first thing(')s first" is correct.
My thinking is that one would take the first thing and give it priority, hence the first ...
13
votes
6answers
5k views
Is “my bad” a correct English phrase?
I have seen many people use the phrase "my bad" in Internet forums. What does it exactly imply and is it a proper English phrase?
