Questions tagged [expressions]
This tag is for questions about expressions. Expressions are words or phrases used to convey an idea, or else a particular term used conventionally to express something. Consider phrase-requests and expression-requests if you are looking for an expression, phrase-meaning if you are unsure about the usage of a given phrase.
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Where does the phrase "cheater caught, Peter red" come from?
Growing up in Pakistan, I heard variations of either:
Cheater caught, Peter red; or
Cheater cock, Peter red
I assumed it was about a cocky boy named Peter who was either caught red-handed or turned ...
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1
answer
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Grant somebody access to something or Grant access to something for somebody
Often I have to request access to specified resource for specified person. Is there any error in any of these forms and what is better to use?
Grant somebody access to something
Grant access to ...
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0
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Words or idioms to describe burden of knowledge but not doing or caring about it
I want to capture the pain which comes from having knowledge that will improve the situation or make the world a better place but being apathetic towards it.
They care, but not enough. They can act ...
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0
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“Fools that they are”
I have a question about the interposition “fools that they are” in the following:
“Fools that they are, they never knew thy guiltless pride, thy true spirit.”
Using Google’s Ngram Viewer, I found ...
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0
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Expression 'Europe as a whole' or only 'Europe'?
I have the following sentence:
"The share of renewable energy in Germany was 35 % and thus higher than the one of Europe as a whole"
Would you rather use 'Europe as a whole' or only 'Europe'? The ...
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2
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0
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Would see someone [do vs doing] something
I remember seeing an expression along the lines of "An act that would see him X"
For instance:
"The chess player prepared to make the move that would see him [win/winning] the game."
"He insulted the ...
2
votes
1
answer
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What do you call an area where people can pick up flyers/pamphlets?
What do you call an area/corner where people can pick up free flyers/pamphlets/brochures?
Sometimes they're on catalog stands and sometimes they're just in stacks on a table.
My non-native speaking ...
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2
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Word or phrase for customers won from a competitor
In the context of a company that makes or sells a product (e.g. accounting software) where there are many alternatives on the market, is there a word or [short] phrase to describe "new customers that ...
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2
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0
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Came "into" fruition?
My friend wrote some copy, explaining that her "company came into fruition because she realized the opportunity..."
I've never used "came into fruition" -- only "came to fruition". Is "came into ...
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2
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0
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A word or term for extrapolation fallacy or using results beyond their context? [Solved]
I am looking for a word or term that means something like:
you are using previous results outside boundaries of the original experiment/observation
earlier experience/results does not apply in all ...
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2
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1
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so far...as that
Charles Dickens wrote in his preface to A Tale of Two Cities the following sentence:
I have so far verified what is done and suffered in these pages, as that I have certainly done and suffered it ...
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1
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Usage of "give it a read"
Is the usage of the phrase "give it a read" correct? For instance, "Hey, I have attached my essay. Do give it a read and let me know what you think".
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1
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Idiom/metaphor for a constant figure in a certain place
I was wondering if there were any idioms or cliched metaphors commonly used to describe someone who you can always expect to see in a certain place because they spend a lot of time there (or even ...
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0
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What do we call an object that is going to be, or is being, or has been consolidated?
What do we call an object that is a member in the action of consolidation?
Is "consolidatee" a word?
For example, I have two sets of objects that are going to be consolidated into one single ...
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1
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0
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53
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Instilled - is there a better word or phrase specifically for a child getting their interest/love of something from a parent
I'm looking for something to better evoke the gratitude one might feel towards their parent (or anyone, but parent in this case) for sharing their love of something (music, reading, etc.) in such a ...
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0
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How to define someone who is more efficient than the actual person responsible for the task?
Like we say "Holier than the pope" to define someone who acts more pious than the priest. I cannot recall expression for someone who acts over-efficiently over a matter than does not concern ...
1
vote
1
answer
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How common is the phrase: "Blessed be nothing"?
The phrase itself is found in one of Emerson's essays:
"Blessed be nothing," and "the worse things are, the better they are," are proverbs which express the transcendentalism of ...
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1
vote
0
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Derivation or historical existence of the phrase: "I will do my possible."
I've been reading Georgette Heyer again and find this sentence coming up: "I will do my possible."
The Reluctant Widow
Chapter 17
“Perhaps. I shall do my possible. You have been troubled ...
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1
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0
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What is a phrase or analogy for something that has both fixed and customizable parts?
I am looking for a way to describe to my students that some of their courses must be taken at a certain time while others can be taken whenever. Therefore, I am trying to give an example or phrase ...
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0
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Phrase like "margin of error" or "buffer" but specifically about spare team capacity?
I am trying to think of a phrase that means something like "margin of error" or "buffer," but specifically applying to spare capacity of a working team within a company. "...
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0
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How to use "Some more so than others"?
Consider the following sentence:
Americans all around the world felt a sense of pride, some more so than others.
Is such a usage of the phrase correct?
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0
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Is there a term to describe starting a sentence with its intention?
This is common in the depiction of monotone robots in sci-fi. For example,
"Statement: You are only human, after all."
"Reassure: This will only hurt a little."
"Question: ...
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0
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Is the expression "To date, it's the first..." redundant?
I have read expressions similar to the following multiple times in scientific papers:
"Our study is the first to date to prove that..."
"To date, our study is the first to..."
I ...
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0
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Are the expressions "to put it mildly" and "to say the least" always interchangeable?
As we know, the expressions "to put it mildly" and "to say the least" are used to avoid describing something in the strongest way possible. But I wonder if there is a subtle ...
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0
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Whereby / By which
I have a doubt about the use of “whereby”. I know it can be a synonym of “by which”, but I am not sure if it can always substitute “by which”.
I am doing an essay and I wrote this:
Will, gift, lease ...
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0
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53
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"Either x or either y-" why does this occur?
Recently, I've noticed several instances of people repeating "either" in sentences, ex. "you're either the predator or you're either the prey." Is this a documented phenomenon, or ...
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1
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0
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How are greetings in 18th century done?
So I'm writing a book and I was wondering how are the above question usually done in 18cen way. A brief greeting maybe old time friends or to a noble. Yea I agree this question can be a little vast. ...
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1
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0
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what is the meaning of 'to wear one's breeches out' and 'rat-gutted'?
I am quoting from the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Gloria Scott by Arthur Conan Doyle:
Now, you don't think it likely that a man who could do anything is going to wear his breeches out sitting in ...
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0
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What is a good adjective that describes the quality of "having a growth mindset"?
I'm struggling to find a single word that conveys what is shared in the following statements
Have a growth mindset
Be a lifelong learner
Be a student of the game
Is there a good single adjective ...
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1
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0
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426
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Metaphor similar to "one apple spoils the whole bunch"?
I am trying to describe sectarianism that starts from the oldest generation and seeps down to their children and grandchildren and I am getting major writer's block when trying to find a metaphorical ...
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0
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proverbial idiom that fits the point that "Main contractor asking (polite forcing) subcontractor to spoon feed his own duty in its entirety"
In business, a main contractor is the one who takes up the responsibility of the whole project which he understands he can undertake in its entirety, some without and part with help of a subcontractor....
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0
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42
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English equivalent for the german term "Bestellrunde"
The German term "Bestellrunde" literally translates as "order round/turn" or "a round/turn of orders".
It implies a request to consumers/customers to place their order ...
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Words or expressions describing really bad modern music
I need some words, or expressions describing tuneless, jarring, thumping, off-key music. The best word I know is cacophony. Are there better words, are there words describing the worst of specific ...
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0
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Finding a word for an example
My husband very often responds with obvious responses that I just want to roll my eyes and I need to find out why he does it or at the least tolerate it if I know what he's doing. He has many good ...
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0
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How to say that you know something based on your intuition instead of a rule?
When we write something in our native language, we are able to write grammatically correct sentences not because we know the rules, but because it "feels" right.
How would you naturally ...
user391194
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0
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What is the term for saying something negative fishing for positive comments?
Help me! There is a term for when people say or post something negative or complaining but in reality they are fishing for positive (compliments). What is this term?!
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0
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Is it correct to say "I feel terrible"?
I was told that we shouldn't say "I feel painful" and should say "I feel pain". Because "I feel painful" sounds like I cause the pain. If I want to express that I experience a physical feeling of pain,...
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0
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What is the provenance of this expression regarding luck
I heard the following phrase in conversation:
"Luck is cruel to those that see it"
Is this (or a variation of) a common idiom or well known quote, and if a quote, who is attributed to it?
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0
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Can I use "enjoy" in this way?
"The two countries enjoy economic advantage complementarity, high degree of converging interests and broad prospects for cooperation."
I checked the Longman dictionary and I guess that "to have a ...
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0
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their home vs their own home
Let's think about two sentences.
first :
Italian doctors are now treating coronavirus patients in their homes
second :
Italian doctors are now treating coronavirus patients in their own ...
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0
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Can I write "It is pity I didn't have a chance to know you better" on a mum's headstone?
When you lost someone when you were young, and it was your close family member, can you say "It is pity I didn't have a chance to know you better"? I mean write it on an inscription, headstone, etc.?
...
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"Extension of" or "Extension for"
Do we say extension of a period of time or extension for a period of time?
For example:
They requested an extension of a few days
Or
They requested an extension for a few days
I'm leaning more ...
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0
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Is the phrase 'lock a target on sth' correct?
Let's assume a sniper wants to say 'I am aiming at the objective and I have my crosshairs right on it'. I've always thought they would use an expression 'I locked on/onto the target'.
However, ...
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0
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Word or phrase to describe anything that seems trivial but can be indicative of something important
When I say “anything” I could be referring to a comment, an interaction, a symbol, or an action. I’m not sure how to explain this without using examples. In hospitals, doctors often identify patients ...
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"To believe the ocean exists when you see a stream. it is the vision ..."
Is this grammatically correct?
Please correct the above quote.
I want to complete the expression.
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vote
0
answers
103
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How to translate "Je fais marcher le carburateur"?
What would be a good translation of "je fais marcher le carburateur" in English.
It is an expression to say that you are thinking intensively, using your brain a lot.
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0
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Evaluation of Inhabitants on/of/based on the Influence of Media?
I'm currently translating an abstract for personal purposes, but I'm not sure how I'd translate this part. I translated it as this:
Self-Evaluation of Inhabitants on (the) Influence of Media (the ...
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Does "accrued great appreciation of his dedication" sound right?
Here is the sentence, During the 4 year collaboration, we accrued great appreciation of his professionalism.
My question is about 2 words, "accrued" and "of".
First, I never see such usage as "...
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To native English speakers, "I'll take it as take out"
If I order a coffee and want to take it out. (To go..)
The expression "I'll take it as take out." makes sense?
And use that in common?
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0
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Another way to say "you can't get away with it"?
What is another way to say "you can't get away with it"?
In the context of someone not complying to the rules, and will get a penalty.
I need a phrase in conversational English (everyday use or ...
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