A saying is something that is said, notable in one respect or another, to be "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth."
0
votes
1answer
49 views
Which is correct? “not to” or “to not” [duplicate]
I was writing a blog post just now and I couldn't help but hesitate at the following snippet: "...causing this to not work as expected"
And I couldn't decide if that's correct or if I should use ...
9
votes
5answers
28k views
What is the meaning and origin of the common phrase “the world is your oyster”?
What does the world is your oyster mean, and where does it come from?
1
vote
2answers
830 views
“The crying baby gets the milk”
Where does the saying "The crying baby gets the milk" come from? I don't think it's from English.
8
votes
8answers
2k views
5
votes
3answers
477 views
Is there an English equivalent for the Swedish expression “the droplet that caused the beaker to overflow”?
In Swedish, the expression "det var droppen som fick bägaren att rinna över", directly translated to "the droplet that caused the beaker to overflow", is used to express that enough is enough. Is ...
5
votes
6answers
8k views
What is the origin of the saying, “faint heart never won fair lady”?
Having heard the phrase, "faint heart never won fair lady" for the third time in very short span, I'm determined to find out its origin. Unfortunately, when I Google, I'm getting a bunch of ...
15
votes
6answers
4k views
He's good people. Just him. The one guy
I think this is a Midwestern thing, but where does the phrase "good people" come from? I'm referring specifically to the usage: "I like Bob. He's good people."
1
vote
2answers
155 views
Is there an idiom beginning “when a dog is cornered”?
Is there any saying in a complete sentence including “a dog which is cornered”? I have tried to find a complete one, but there seems to be no one.
Actually, what I want to know is how to explain the ...
10
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2answers
4k views
Is it “a tough row to hoe?”, or “a tough road to hold?”
Is it an old farming metaphor, or a military saying? Where did this(these) saying(s) originate?
13
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12answers
2k views
Phrase for focusing on unimportant details
I'm looking for a idiom or saying that I could use when people are focusing too much on small details and not seeing the big picture.
A couple that come to mind are "being penny-wise and pound ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the origin of the phrase “two nations divided by a common language”?
What is the origin of the phrase "two nations divided by a common language"?
I have seen it attributed to Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and even Winston Churchill.
The most likely looking source ...
8
votes
4answers
7k views
Origin of the phrase “Now we're cooking with _”
I have heard this phrase as:
Now we're cooking with gas.
Now we're cooking with grease.
Now we're cooking with heat.
Now we're cooking with fire.
Which of these is the original version, and ...
6
votes
7answers
338 views
Idiom/word/saying request: Accepting a situation out of desperation
How can I say for example:
Individual retailers run out of business when a big fish came to town. So they had accepted that they cannot compete and closed their stores.
In the novel To Kill A ...
5
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5answers
13k views
Is it 'Close to the chest' or 'Close to the vest'?
Apologies if this is a duplicate, I am just curious.
Are they both valid? Which originated first?
3
votes
3answers
111 views
Phrase for someone taking over business when you skip for humanity
Is there a witty or general saying of indicating the act of taking over a business when a person, business or country skips an opportunity for general benevolence?
Examples:
If I don't sell weapons ...
-1
votes
1answer
85 views
What is the saying to express a certain situation? It is like, you will find nails everywhere when you have got a hammer [closed]
I am looking for a saying to express a situation that one is apt to apply anything instantly when it is at hand. I do not remember the saying. It seems to be that 'you will find nails everywhere when ...
48
votes
11answers
3k views
Phrase for overusing just-learned skills?
Is there a saying or word for indicating the overuse of something you just newly learned? Say you were happy with a hammer and a nail and then somebody taught you the virtues of a screw and ...
3
votes
4answers
359 views
“Best is enemy of the good” (Russian idiom/saying)
What are English equivalents for following Russian idiom: "best is enemy of the good"? In Russian it means that if you are going too much after perfection you may make things even worse instead of ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
Put two and two together…and got five?
I know the phrase "put two and two together", and in fact someone has already asked a question regarding its origin. However, I recently heard someone say the phrase with an addition of the humorous ...
2
votes
4answers
250 views
What is a more politically correct way to call something a “Red-Headed Step-Child”?
I can't use the phrase "second-class citizen" either.
This is for a professional blog post, so I'd rather stay away from "red-headed step-child". I can't use "second-class citizen" because I'm ...
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 ...
11
votes
1answer
205 views
Meaning of “match Greek with Greek”
From Christmas Storms and Sunshine by Elizabeth Gaskell (4th paragraph):
Jenkins had his wife too. Wives were wanting to finish the
completeness of the quarrel, which existed one memorable ...
14
votes
4answers
391 views
“The whole nine yards”
What is the origin of the phrase "the whole nine yards"? Is it a reference to some game of sports I am not familiar with (as a continental European)?
-1
votes
8answers
176 views
Non-offensive equivalent to KISS [closed]
Is there a non-offensive way to tell someone:
is better to (k)eep (i)t (s)imple, (s)...
Update
Let's say someone came with his part of the homework done, then it turns out to be a rather ...
1
vote
1answer
112 views
12
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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 ...
9
votes
5answers
1k views
Is there a saying like 'those who find faults with other people tend to be blind to their own faults'?
Is there a saying that could be explained as 'those who find faults with other people tend to be blind to their own faults?' As with people who are picky; their criticism of others often applies to ...
1
vote
4answers
140 views
Is there a saying like “Plum trees bloom most beautifully as they stand and overcome the cold severe winter.”? [closed]
Is there a saying like "Plum trees bloom most beautifully as they stand and overcome the cold severe winter."? It is a part of Japanese poem translated into English. It basically means a great ...
3
votes
4answers
2k views
What is the origin of “wake up and smell the roses”
Where did this saying come from, and what is its true meaning?
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votes
2answers
208 views
What is the difference between “say to her” and “talk to her”? [closed]
I don't know the difference between "say to her" and "talk to her".
Please explain to me the answer if you know it.
1
vote
2answers
338 views
Expression for “someone who's clueless of their surroundings”?
What is an expression or saying you could use to describe someone that is totally clueless of their surroundings?
5
votes
2answers
851 views
How do I explain “The man on the Clapham omnibus” to the man on the Clapham omnibus?
I have found that I had to explain what "the man on the Clapham omnibus" means to someone.
I had taken it for granted that the phase was in standard usage, as my parents used it when I was a child.
...
13
votes
1answer
2k views
I'm British, so should I take a rain cheque?
I want to write the phrase "take a rain cheque" and am British.
Should I therefore use the British spelling of the word cheque, or respect the baseball origin of the phrase "rain check" and use the ...
-1
votes
3answers
837 views
Lost in the Midst vs Mists of Time [closed]
Which of the following is more correct, and why? My attempts at Googling haven't produced a definitive answer, and all seem as sensible as each other going from base definitions.
Lost in the mists ...
1
vote
4answers
463 views
What does “When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth” mean? [closed]
I found this quote by George Bernard Shaw:
When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.
Can anyone please explain the meaning of this sentence?
2
votes
10answers
1k views
What are some old-world alternatives or precursors to 'WTF' (expressions of frustration or surprise)? [closed]
Such as 'what on Earth' or 'what in the world', etc. I'm trying to come up with a list of witty alternatives.
Note: I'm not looking for alternatives to the letters W, T, and F. I'm looking for ...
0
votes
2answers
273 views
How long is “in a second”? [closed]
When someone says "give me a second", or "one second please", how long do they actually mean?
Do they mean "will give you a response as soon as I can", or "in a short time, around 5 minutes"
-1
votes
2answers
204 views
How to pronounce 3:1 ratio? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do I pronounce “ratio 1:1”?
What is the correct pronunciation of 3:1 (as a ratio)? I know this might be simple enough to be answered by any native ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Talking out of the side of your mouth
Talking out of the side of your mouth
This means one is lying, right? Or something else?
3
votes
1answer
467 views
What does “I'll kill that cat” in the play Dinner for One mean?
In the play Dinner for One, James the butler says, "I'll kill that cat," at time 14:05. What does this mean? Is he referring to the tiger rug which keeps tripping him, or is it a saying or ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
“What to do when you live in a shoe”
Where does the phrase "what to do when you live in a shoe" come from?
I was asked today why I use slow internet and responded, "What to do when you live in a shoe" as though my internet limitation(s) ...
38
votes
4answers
2k views
Why “Speak of the devil”?
Why is the expression "Speak of the devil" and not "Speaking of the devil"? For me, the -ing would make more sense because you're currently talking about someone, when he/she appears.
For example, if ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Meaning of “take the lead out”
What is the meaning of the saying take the lead out? I ask because I was watching this video from the 1960's show What's My Line and Groucho Marx writes this on a blackboard (where he's supposed to ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the origin of “A cat in hell's chance”
What is the origin of the phrase: "A cat in hell's chance"?
I understand it to mean "not a chance", but it seems a very curious saying and I wonder how it originated.
e.g.
Bob: Do you ...
4
votes
3answers
8k views
More idioms like “needle in a haystack” relevant to hidden/hard to find items? [closed]
Are there more idioms, sayings or phrases similar to "needle in a haystack" that are relevant to hidden objects, or difficult to find items?
Also interested in similar nouns relevant to the somewhat ...
1
vote
6answers
320 views
A phrase for ignoring the disparity at a low level, while seeking commonality at a high level
I'm having a hard time describing the phrase I'm looking for, so I think the best way to ask the question is to simply present the problem.
At work I've been tasked with merging the guidelines (the ...
6
votes
2answers
4k views
What's the origin of the saying, “There's no accounting for taste”?
I hear it all the time in arguments over subjective judgements:
There's no accounting for taste.
Where does this saying come from? Is it a quote or old proverb?
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Why is the term “double-edged sword” used for something that can be favorable and unfavorable?
When something can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences, the term double-edged sword is often used to describe it. Why?
Does a double-edged sword have unfavorable consequences? Are ...
1
vote
1answer
168 views
Is the [blank] worth the shake? [closed]
I remember someone once telling me a saying in the form: "Is the [blank] worth the shake?"
The meaning was similar to the saying, "Is the end worth the means?"
I can't remember what the [blank] word ...
4
votes
3answers
326 views
“Strike gold” but without the implication of searching?
Whenever I hear the phrase I struck gold the fact the person had to have done a certain search is implied to me. Is this correct?
For example, if I say:
Janet loves sex so much! I've struck gold ...
