Tagged Questions
4
votes
2answers
100 views
What's a useful replacement idiom for “money shot?”
I'm afraid I have been somewhat innocently causing offense by using the term "money shot" in its general, non-pornographic sense. My coworkers either have dirty minds or lack awareness of the other ...
2
votes
1answer
100 views
Is it “to play a game on someone” or “play games with someone”?
I find this expression strange because it's clearly widely used, but seems sort of "unofficial", the "official" version, meaning the one described in dictionaries and grammar books, being playing ...
1
vote
4answers
115 views
What's the meaning of “I put the chic in freak”?
I am a non-native speaker of English (Polish) and I teach English as a Foreign Language in Poland. A few months ago I came across this phrase / sentence printed on the student's notebook and got ...
-1
votes
3answers
308 views
My Thoughts Exactly [closed]
Let's say someone said something I agree with. To express approval, dictionaries say this is standard English:
My sentiments exactly.
Could I use the following as well?
My feelings ...
0
votes
1answer
60 views
Urge Her Against Him [closed]
For this:
google book
"With one hand on the small of her back, and another just a bit lower, he urged her against him again. The woman was melting his resolve and calling into question his ...
21
votes
6answers
1k views
Are “Fish in a barrel” and “Sitting ducks” similar?
Do the phrases "Fish in a barrel" and "Sitting ducks" convey the same thing?
In my opinion, they have the same tone and express something to be an easy target.
Eg: Out there, they are just fish in ...
0
votes
0answers
81 views
Loose And Tight [closed]
In one dictionary, the definition (5) for the adjective "loose" reads:
5 : not stiff or tense : flexible or relaxed
▪ He walked with a loose stride. ▪ loose muscles ▪ I never relaxed that day; ...
0
votes
2answers
181 views
To Be Used Of/For
Does "to be used OF" mean "to be used FOR":
wikipedia
The English term "empiric" derives from the Greek word ἐμπειρία, which is cognate with and translates to the Latin experientia, from which ...
-1
votes
1answer
57 views
0
votes
1answer
58 views
On His Post, At His Post
I have this:
link
On 21-22 April 1914, while leading three picket launches admist heavy enemy fire, McCloy was wounded but remained on his post, enabling cruisers to save American lives. For ...
0
votes
1answer
80 views
Pattern: It is X that Y
I might be confused about the "it is X that Y " pattern:
1a That he is not the best player is a surprise.
1b It is a surprise that he is not the best player.
2a That he is not the best ...
0
votes
1answer
150 views
Active usage of “taken aback”
The expression to be taken aback is very common; a typical example sentence (that I just made up) would be
I was taken aback by the way she laughed.
However, I sometimes find myself wanting to ...
0
votes
1answer
74 views
What does “mouth worked” mean? [closed]
I always thought that “mouth worked” describes when someone moves their mouth as if they are speaking, but no sound is emitted. This happens when they are so surprised that that they don’t know what ...
3
votes
1answer
302 views
What is the correct punctuation of the phrase: one size fits all [closed]
What is the correct punctuation for the phrase: one size fits all?
I have seen two variants:
'one size fits all', and
one-size-fits-all
0
votes
1answer
234 views
What is the meaning of the idiom “no bells and whistles” and an example usage? [closed]
I am looking for some interesting sentences that employ this idiom.
5
votes
2answers
483 views
Did Victorians say “We are quit”?
Is “We are quit” (meaning “We’re even, no more mutual obligations”) a usage from the 18–19th centuries?
Or are the examples of this on Google hits just people making it up (possibly a bad cognate ...
