A phrase is a group of words that make a unit of syntax with a single grammatical function.
2
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2answers
1k views
What does “on its way out” mean?
What does this phrase mean? I think of maybe something is going to be really famous in the future, but now it's just not so popular. And it's on its way out. Is that correct?
0
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1answer
108 views
“Slept off”: correct or incorrect?
I have been using slept off to mean that I fell asleep. For example,
I slept off early yesterday.
Is that used correctly?
12
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5answers
3k views
What does ‘Put one's big boy (girl) pants on’ mean?
I saw the phrase “put somebody's pants on’ in today’s ‘Quote of the Day” of Washington Post (July 17).
It quotes the following remark of DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Mitt Romney's record at ...
4
votes
3answers
343 views
Bless your heart
Is "bless your heart" something only used by old women in the South (all I've ever heard)? Or is it ever appropriate for a man to use it without seeming unmanly? Does the term always have ...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
What does “disposal advance” mean? [closed]
I’m having trouble understanding the meaning of disposal advance. What do the following sentences mean?
These are the amounts that we believe you are entitled to. You can derive no rights. The ...
5
votes
4answers
290 views
What is the origin of the phrase “hate your guts”?
Where does the phrase "hate your guts" (for example "I hate your guts") come from?
I've heard the phrase used as a way to convey extreme and deep dislike of another individual. However, it seems ...
0
votes
2answers
79 views
Proverb/Idiom for Free from certain problems only to get trapped into other? [duplicate]
I am looking for a figure of speech which means something vaguely like this:
"Free from certain problems only to get trapped into other"
Is there a proverb or phrase for this because I am not ...
4
votes
1answer
90 views
Is there a term for a married couple who have the same christian and surname?
My wife and I share the abbreviated form of our name - Alex derived from Alexandra and Alexander respectively. As we are married, we have the same christian and surname when used in the short form.
...
-2
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3answers
89 views
Phrase similar to “friend or foe”. I want to the reader to ask themselves the question [closed]
I am looking for a phrase similar to the phrase "friend or foe".
I have come up with "help or hindrance" but I am hoping you might come up with something else.
edit - I am writing an article on ...
0
votes
1answer
78 views
meaning and usage of “mind you”
I often come across this expression and according to dictionaries I've looked up, it can be used in several ways such as to:
introduce something that should be taken into consideration
add something ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
“my friend” vs “a friend of mine”
I always found it weird to hear people say things like "My friend asked me to come" (with no prior mention of said friend), as opposed to "A friend of mine asked me to come". To me it seems as though ...
2
votes
2answers
230 views
“Split in half” vs. “split in two” — which one is correct?
Does the "in" imply multiplication, in which case split in half is correct, or is it division? It sounds like the latter to me, but I've heard it used both ways.
7
votes
3answers
2k views
What does “it’s not going to suck itself ” mean?
In Goa, I see tourists wearing t-shirts that have the following text on them, along with a red arrow:
It’s not going to suck itself
What does this mean?
3
votes
1answer
214 views
How popular is 'brefass' in modern American vocabulary?
This is an abbreviation of 'breakfast' that I have found myself paying extra attention to recently. In fact I have even heard my mother use it on a regular basis. Is this common in modern spoken ...
1
vote
2answers
154 views
What does “There is something more to life than an orange and black color scheme,” mean?
I found a phrase “There is something more to life than an orange and black color scheme,” in the following lines of Time magazine’s (April 1) article titled, “My Advice to Princeton Women Grads.” - ...
10
votes
6answers
9k views
What's the origin of the stock phrase “tall, dark, and handsome”?
Most everyone has probably heard the phrase "tall, dark, and handsome" being used to describe the physical qualities of a perfect male romantic match. Where did this phrase come from, and who, if ...
5
votes
7answers
8k views
What does “to take someone at face value” mean?
What does this mean? I hear it often, but not sure what its meaning is. I think it means to believe what they are saying without proof.
2
votes
3answers
139 views
Is the expression, “Who do you trust (speak / teach / give / vote / fire …)?” predominantly used today?
The popular TV game show, “Who Do You Trust?”, aired from 1957 to 1963. I learnt this from the New York Times’ (March 29) article written by Dick Cavett under the title “Tonight, Tonight, Its World Is ...
3
votes
1answer
177 views
Is “what in hejudas?” a common idiom or phrase?
I noticed the following phrase used in another question:
Is this a common idiom? If so, what in hejudas inspired such a phrasing?
Obviously, this is similar to the phrases “what in hell” or ...
1
vote
2answers
486 views
Is “shvisle” a real or made up word? [closed]
I've come across the word in this captchart: "Yo, my nizzle, can you pass me that shvisle?".
Is it supposed to mean something?
I've easly found the meaning of nizzle, but I'm at a loss with shvisle. ...
2
votes
4answers
137 views
Is there a word for when a problem's understood complexity grows exponentially as you work on it?
Example:
Hey Joe, can you fix simple problem A?
Sure, Sally, no problem! After all it's simple, right?
But A is then found to have dependent sub-problems B and C; B to have dependent ...
1
vote
2answers
121 views
“Naming names”: Descriptive or redundant?
The phrase naming names arises often during the reporting of corruption investigations, political scandals or the like. The word naming is defined as citing by name or giving a name to. I could not ...
1
vote
7answers
4k views
Meaning of “makes no sense”
Which of the following has the closest meaning to "This makes no sense"?
"I do not understand this"
"This has no meaning"
Update I will try to explain: My friend has proposed a solution to some ...
5
votes
3answers
161 views
Phrase synonymous to “a general understanding”?
I am writing a goal where I would like to replace the phrase "a general understanding" with something synonymous.
The whole line reads:
Writes clean and concise code that reflects a general ...
6
votes
3answers
619 views
Are there synonyms for “love marriage”?
I was fascinated by an answer to a comment question I asked under Is the term “would-be” just an Indian usage or universal? about a term for a non-arranged marriage in India. Love marriage was the ...
2
votes
4answers
1k views
Synonym for a specific usage of “after all”
Is there any other word or phrase that could be used instead of "after all" in a case where it comes at the end of a sentence?
For example:
Running away was in his nature, after all.
(If you ...
8
votes
4answers
364 views
Original Meaning and Derivation of “Ever and Anon”
A question posted today asks about the Use of “ever” in non-negated sentence, and one answer happens to mention the phrase "ever and anon." That phrase, with the meaning "occasionally or repeatedly," ...
-1
votes
2answers
122 views
I can manage myself
If someone offer his/her help, is it possible to answer in polite form like that - "I can manage myself"?
1
vote
1answer
60 views
comes to think of it?
Which of the expressions, "come to think of it" or "comes to think of it", grammatically correct? Or are they grammatical at all?
If it is a short form of,
When one comes to think of it, I would ...
1
vote
2answers
66 views
Difference between “Knock it off!” and “Drop it!”
What is the difference between "Knock it off!" and "Drop it!". I do translate both as "Stop it". Is there any context-based usage difference? Thank you.
5
votes
1answer
5k views
What does “Easy peasy japanesey” mean?
What does this sentence mean?
Easy peasy japanesey!
Especially "japanesey", why Japan?
It was in the 1994 movie The Shawshank Redemption.
2
votes
1answer
63 views
Is “grapple hooking” a correct phrase?
I want to say "using a grapple hook" as a verb. In context it would be like "sprinting, jumping, grapple hooking"—but that doesn't sound right. Is it correct? If not, is there a way to say it as a ...
11
votes
3answers
884 views
How did “chopped liver” come to mean “of little value”?
Where did the phrase "chopped liver" originate?
Why does it mean "of little value"?
10
votes
2answers
2k views
Origin of “spick and span”
I recently described my room as being spick and span and I realized I had no idea what that really meant.
It occurred to me that it might stem from a derogatory term (spick), so I thought I'd ask ...
2
votes
6answers
663 views
Usage of the phrase “you don't know what you don't know”
What is the correct usage of phrase "you don't know what you don't know"? Can it be used in formal conversation/writing?
9
votes
5answers
769 views
Is the “really” in “I don't really know” necessary?
I know that one can have a greater or lesser amount of surety (i.e. "I'm not really sure"), but don't you either know or not know something? Are there degrees of knowledge? I hear this phrase often ...
9
votes
4answers
321 views
What does “This story just won’t write” mean? Is this still an acceptable English phrase today?
The New Yorker (March 20) carries an interesting story about the writing style of Time magazine posted by Calvin Trillin who worked for Time magazine as a ‘floater’ and editor in 60s under the title, ...
3
votes
4answers
270 views
Is there a clean version of “no sh*t, Sherlock”?
The phrase "no shit, Sherlock" or just "no shit" is a reply used when someone else points out something obvious.
I was thinking about it the other day and I realized I don't know if there is a clean ...
5
votes
5answers
4k views
Being in love with someone
Is there a difference between loving someone and being in love with them?
I sort of think that being in love with someone might imply that there are reciprocal feelings, but I'm not sure. If someone ...
0
votes
2answers
104 views
“Oil blue” color
Spotted a new collocation for the word blue today, when looking for a pair of jeans – oil blue.
Admittedly, they are probably just being marketing-minded, inventing (?) such a color of jeans. ...
2
votes
2answers
5k views
Burst in or into laughter?
Which of the following phrases is correct grammatically?
burst in laughter
burst into laughter
Or are they both correct (this is my guess)?
I'd think that to "burst in laughter" could ...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
Is ‘Take something cum grano salis’ a popular phrase? Can I use it in casual conversation?
I came across the phrase, ‘cum grano salis’ in the article written by Chris Cillizza, a political pundit in the August 8th Washington Post’s article under the title ‘GOP smells blood in Presidential ...
1
vote
2answers
295 views
What's the 'fixed constant nature of sensible things'?
Aristotle makes the claim that, "the fact that a thing is itself" allows for "a fixed constant nature of sensible things"
Does it mean:
sensible things look like fixed and constant, or
sensible ...
1
vote
2answers
106 views
Can I say “he lost his brave face”?
"Put on a brave face" is to express that someone try to hide it's feeling and pretend to be alright. What if someone tries but fails, can I say, "He lost his brave face after that"? Or what would be ...
1
vote
2answers
103 views
Meaning and usage of “stuck in the craw” [closed]
Can you please explain the meaning and give some usage examples for "stuck in the craw" expression?
Just come across this expression in following sentence (a bit lengthy):
But what stuck in the ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
What is the origin of the phrase “stand on your head and spit wooden nickels?”
Where does this phrase come from? Was there a time in which it was in popular use? Is it an American English phrase?
4
votes
3answers
7k views
Which is correct: “So far as I know” or “As far as I know”?
Which is more appropriate: "So" or "As"?
3
votes
4answers
208 views
Any alternative phrase for “piece of cake” [duplicate]
Are there other phrases to express easiness of the situation like the above mentioned phrase?
2
votes
4answers
275 views
Can “famous last words” be used in positive way as a response in conversation?
I came across the phrase, ““famous last words.” I took it literally as the last word delivered by famous people. But Wikipedia defines““famous last words” other than this sense as:
used in a ...
9
votes
3answers
385 views
What does “Sleep through the Second Coming” mean?
There is the following statement in Jeffery Archer’s fiction “Kane & Abel,” in which William Kane, one of the two heroes looks at his wife sleeping soundly on bed unaware of his big problem:
...
