This tag is for questions seeking a phrase that fits a meaning. If you're specifically seeking only a single word, see the "single word requests" tag too.
98
votes
9answers
8k views
Is there a word or phrase for the feeling you get after looking at a word for too long?
(Perhaps this only happens to me, but I doubt it.)
Sometimes after looking at a word for a while, I become convinced that it can't possibly be spelled correctly. Even after looking it up, sounding ...
20
votes
23answers
9k views
An idiom meaning someone's doing something useless and has no result at the end
In my native language, we use an idiom to warn someone that they're doing something which has no result at the end:
Trying to convince him is like squashing water ...
Is there any idiom in ...
6
votes
4answers
665 views
Phrase or idiom for funnelling efforts in wrong direction
What one phrase or idiom describes situations (see examples below), in which people funnel their efforts in the wrong direction?
A boy wants to have a cup of coffee, so he buys a notebook in a ...
24
votes
9answers
1k views
“Saving on the parrot's chocolate is futile”
In Catalan there is an expression "ser la xocolata del lloro" that can be translated as "saving by not giving chocolate to the parrot is futile", conveying the meaning that when a household wants to ...
63
votes
28answers
5k views
Is there an American English equivalent of the British idiom “carrying coals to Newcastle”?
I'm an American living in the Netherlands who is learning Dutch. There's an idiom in Dutch that describes performing a needless/futile activity, "water naar de zee dragen," which literally translates ...
12
votes
3answers
1k views
Other expressions for “to be the devil's advocate”?
Is there another way or expression to say:
He is the devil's advocate
I don't quite like this expression, and I don't know if it is a good idea to use it in a religious context.
14
votes
5answers
3k views
Term for something that appears complex but is actually very simple
The Japanese have a term for something that appears simple but is actually very complex in detail: Shibui. It should be said that this is only one aspect of Shibui, as with many Japanese ...
9
votes
7answers
684 views
What's a good phrase for “refining a process which is hopelessly broken”?
I'm looking for a turn of phrase to describe a situation where the powers that be wish to continue making small improvements to a process which, due to deep-rooted flaws, will never be close to ...
23
votes
14answers
6k views
What is a word/idiom for 'unable to decide'?
Let's say I have an important decision to make and I can't decide between two competing things (like break up with a girl or not break up with her). What would be a word/idiom to express that?
23
votes
12answers
2k views
Expression that means something like “killing the sheep to keep them from being kidnapped”
I'm looking for an expression that conveys an excessive risk management approach that ends up having a worse effect than what it is trying to protect against.
22
votes
26answers
6k views
Common phrases for something that appears good but is actually bad
What are common phrases that describe something that appears good but is actually bad?
Edit: Because people say bad is vague I will try to sum up the phrase meaning a little better.
something that ...
9
votes
13answers
731 views
Word or phrase for 'a much hyped discovery which later turns out to be insignificant or of no value'
In the company where I worked before, the team of specialists which handled customer dissatisfaction issues often came up with seemingly brilliant solutions which would initially appear to be key ...
16
votes
9answers
813 views
Is there any idiomatic expression with the meaning “show all the hidden stuff”?
Which idiomatic phrase can be used to express 'showing all the hidden stuff' (it's supposed that nobody should find that out, some scandal things)?
8
votes
7answers
733 views
Gender-neutral equivalent for “Take it like a man”
I'd like to find some gender-neutral equivalents of the phrase
Take it like a man
I'm not looking only for existing phrases -- any interesting ideas for expressing the sentiment "be tough", ...
3
votes
2answers
197 views
Words that define a type of word and also obey that definition [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is a catchy word that means (non-)self-descriptive
There are plenty of names for word sets:
synonyms: words that have the same meaning
palindromes: words that ...
10
votes
11answers
2k views
What's an idiom for doing something in an unnecessarily complicated way?
For an example, I'll quote C.S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:
One day the cat got into the dairy and twenty of them were at work moving all the milk out; no one thought of moving the cat.
...
7
votes
13answers
2k views
Idiom, word, or expression meaning an easy-to-do task
I am looking for a term, expression, word, or idiom to describe a task as an easy one to do or to go through.
What I’d normally say is:
Actually it’s not difficult, it’s as easy as drinking a ...
5
votes
6answers
477 views
word that means: causing a paradigm shift, new era, revolution
I can't think of the word and it's driving me nuts. I'm looking for a word that can be used when some technology is discovered, way of thinking, or even event happening that causes a big change in ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
What would you call a person who doesn't like questions being asked of them?
My sister says I ask too many questions, such as "What have you been up to lately?" She is the only person who says that.
What do you call a person who doesn't like questions being asked?
13
votes
2answers
52k views
Equivalents to “I'm looking forward to hearing from you.” [closed]
What sentences do you suggest to end a formal letter that you expect a reply from the recipient?
One of the most popular ones is "Looking forward to hearing from you."
44
votes
8answers
1k views
Is there an English phrase for an inability to actually *leave* already?
There is a Hungarian expression, küszöbgörcs, which literally means "threshold-cramp", and is used to describe that long conversation you have in the entryway, with all the guests awkwardly holding ...
33
votes
10answers
2k views
“To shoot out of cannon into sparrows”
In Russian we have idiom/saying "To shoot out of cannon into sparrows" (literal translation) which is used to convey an idea of applying too drastic measures to small problems. I believe there should ...
21
votes
8answers
812 views
What is a better way to name “The Wrong Question”?
On StackOverflow.com I often find that people ask questions about problems that arise due to poor design choices (typically due to a lack of knowledge about the particular programming language).
For ...
14
votes
6answers
1k views
Is there a term for simultaneous snow and rain?
I'm from Australia where we don't have so many kinds of precipitation. I'm familiar with these:
rain
hail
snow
sleet
As I understand it, sleet refers to frozen rain but I'm not totally familiar ...
14
votes
12answers
6k views
Is there a term to describe speech that has a hidden meaning but is not sarcastic?
I want to describe how someone is saying something but hidden behind their words they are blaming the person they are talking to. It's kind of like sarcasm but not quite as strong. With sarcasm the ...
10
votes
7answers
688 views
Is there an idiom that corresponds to the Hungarian expression “fall off the other side of the horse”?
There's a Hungarian phrase that can be literally translated as something like "fall off the other side of the horse". (The literal implication is either that instead of falling off this side of the ...
10
votes
8answers
397 views
English term for pre-thinker?
I was searching for an English translation for the German Vordenker. Basically a person, often a scientist, who began or further significantly developed a new concept or theory by contributing ...
17
votes
5answers
3k views
What do you call those divisions of a book bigger than a paragraph but smaller than a chapter?
In printed books, or at least in novels, there are often major breaks within a chapter more important than paragraphs.
Often they are separated by a greater amount of whitespace than paragraphs and ...
12
votes
3answers
262 views
Can I use “US-American” to disambiguate “American”? If not, what can I use?
Based on this question, I wonder: as an alternative to USAian (which is very nonstandard) is it OK to use US-American to more clearly indicate "inhabitant of the USA"?
According to Google Ngram, this ...
11
votes
5answers
1k views
What do you call a slip of the tongue in writing?
Is there any phrase or word that can be used to describe a slip of the tongue that happens in writing?
Calling it a slip of tongue directly feels awkward, especially when the written text is never ...
4
votes
4answers
3k views
Phrase for a problem that seems impossible, but actually has a simple and obvious solution?
Daniel M. Russell poses what he claims is a deceptively simple brain teaser in his blog:
What short 4-word idiomatic phrase (in English) captures [the] idea of
a problem that seems impossible, ...
4
votes
3answers
4k views
What is a more formal way to say “Don't get me wrong”?
I think the phrase "Don't get me wrong" in conversation means, "I'm about to say something that you might misunderstand, so don't."
I'm looking for a similar phrase that sounds better when speaking ...
9
votes
8answers
785 views
How to name a 15-minute period?
In Dutch, we have the word "kwartier" to denote a 15-minute period. It is derived from the word "kwart", which means quarter. It is very common to use this word in both spoken and written language.
...
8
votes
5answers
414 views
Words describing the pat acceptance of a thought or practice simply because “that's how it's done.”
I believe that several words or phrases exist to describe the practice of thinking in a certain way or performing a certain action simply because "that's how it's always been done." Another way of ...
8
votes
6answers
339 views
Is there an aphorism for doing a self-defeating act?
Is there a witty turn of phrase that indicates one's performing an act that, in its doing, undermines, contravenes, or obviates itself?
This question relates to a similar idea, but I have it in my ...
8
votes
6answers
490 views
What is the word for when members of the same group attack each other?
I've noticed this in a few South Park episodes, so that's what I'd like to give an example from. I'm sure other artists have depicted something similar.
Note that I'm not necessarily agreeing with ...
8
votes
14answers
450 views
Is there a pejorative alternative to “improvise”?
I'm looking for a word or phrase that implies improvisation in a negative context. "Jury rigging" comes to mind, but I'm hoping for other alternatives.
7
votes
1answer
96 views
Non-union-affiliated shop steward
I'm looking for an English word or short phrase to convey a meaning which is similar to “union representative” or “shop steward”, except that the person in question is not (necessarily) associated ...
7
votes
8answers
2k views
What is an alternative (more positive) analogy to “beating a dead horse”?
I'm looking for an analogy for my repeated attempts to revive interest in a project. The phrase beating a dead horse almost fits the bill, but a dead horse refers to a subject that is no longer ...
7
votes
7answers
223 views
Is there a concise word or phrase for the action you perform on an option to remove the others?
Say someone is holding a number of items in front of you. What would you call the action you request that they perform to remove all choices but one so that you can examine the item that is left? It ...
6
votes
9answers
3k views
What is an idiom/slang for “someone who pretends to be good when they're not”?
This is not from real life, but from a movie on my local TV. A character in the movie is really bad, but when she talks with others, she pretends to be an innocent/ good woman. I want to know how to ...
5
votes
8answers
732 views
What would you call a person who is not a student, but takes interest in exploring academic topics?
A person who is not formally enrolled as a student, researcher or faculty in some university or college but who takes interest in exploring academic topics/stuff. For e.g. Such a person could be ...
5
votes
2answers
997 views
A better way to say “enrolled in a program” to signify the difficulty of attaining admission in the face of stiff competition?
I'm trying to write a personal statement in which I've to account for my past educational experiences. One of my courses is from a prestigious institute in my country, where its difficult to attain ...
5
votes
3answers
4k views
Is there a version of brunch for a meal between dinner and lunch?
Brunch has become quite a common word in the English language. Is there a similar word for a meal in place of dinner and lunch? (A phrase will also do).
4
votes
3answers
462 views
Idiomatic saying for “just over” and “just under”
Is there an idiomatic saying to say that a distance is about x kilometer, including the connotation of "a little bit more than" or "a little bit less than" as "just over" and "just under" respectively ...
4
votes
4answers
298 views
Opposite/inverse of duplicate
What is a word that can function as the inverse of a duplicate question on Stack Exchange? I was looking, in the context of this question on meta, for such a word to distinguish the closed duplicate ...
4
votes
2answers
178 views
What is the name of combination, in error, of similar or related words? (E.g.: segueway)
Is there a technical term for combination, in error, of similar or related words? This question is prompted by the following malapropism or solecism, from an article by Elizabeth Montalbano in ...
4
votes
7answers
2k views
Words to describe something that does not reach your expectations for it
Which word(s) would you use in a situation such as the one below, to make the sentence sound logical, natural and complete?
You told me we were going to a nice park. We've spent almost two hours ...
3
votes
1answer
187 views
Opposite of “straight talk”
What is the opposite for the straight talk idiom? How do I best call the activity when someone makes a very long preamble before he says what he wants?
3
votes
2answers
192 views
Word or a phrase that means your results could be biased toward what you predicted them to be
In psychology I recall we used a phrase or a word that meant that because you predicted the outcome of an experiment, then your results could be biased towards your prediction.
Either subconsciously ...
