Questions tagged [idiom-requests]
This tag is for questions seeking an idiom that fits a certain meaning. If you are asking more generally about a suitable phrase to use in a particular context, see the "phrase-request" tag. If you are seeking only a single word, see the "single-word-requests" tag.
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Idiomatic expressions for falsity: the misconception falsity - Translation of Spanish: ‘la re flasheé’
Introduction
By the correspondence theory, if you said or thought something that does not fit with the reality then you said something that is false. While this is an obviousness that we've learned ...
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How to positively say "one bad apple ruins every other good apple"?
There is an unhappy colleague in our company and I want to talk about this issue in my next meeting. I want to mean "A bad apple ruins good apples" but this sounds so negative. I want to ...
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What is the idiom for holding onto something that is hindering you?
It’s a kind of self sabotage but specific to coveting something. Sort of Sisyphean, but also not. Carrying a burden. Imagine holding a sack of potatoes while trying to escape a dangerous situation but ...
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Is there a word or expression that describes a situation where a person repetitively "comes and goes"?
In Levantine Arabic, the expression "siri miri" (سِرِّي مِرِّي) is used for someone who continually and incessantly comes and goes, or passes by, such as like near your house or just about ...
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Idiomatic word/expression for someone ‘who has no feeling for the game’ - Translation of Spanish ‘pechofrío’
I'm having trouble translating the expression pechofrío (pecho frío, ‘cold chest’) from Spanish—specially Argentinian Spanish, I don't know if it's used in other countries. It means:
s. masc. Persona ...
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What's a proverb or idiom that describes the opposite of "the gift that keeps on giving"?
I'm looking for an idiom that describes something (or someone) that keeps on harming or taking from others, as opposed to giving or benefiting them. Or something along those lines. Any input is ...
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Idiom for when two people agree on an idea for very contrasting reasons
What are some idioms that would describe a scenario where two people agree on an idea- but for very contrasting reasons?
Scenario 1: Two classmates support the demolition of an abandoned factory: ...
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Idiom for Spanish ‘no escupas para arriba’ (i.e., ‘be careful with the harm you do, it could come back at you’)
In Spanish, there's the expression ¡no escupas para arriba! (literally ‘don't spit upwards!’), which is used for example in counter-reprimanding or counter-criticizing purposes—although there are many ...
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What is a term (or idiom) for someone who enters and exits without a request or order?
In Mesopotamian Arabic, the the idiom "khirri mirri" (خِرِّي مِرِّي) is used for those who haphazardly enter and exit a building like they own the place - Basically "in and out" in ...
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English equivalent of the Argentinian idiom "not a single puppet was left with its head on"
I'm looking for an English idiom related to this one, pretty odd, heard in Argentina:
"Not a single puppet is left with its head on.", or maybe "To chop off every puppet's head." (...
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Idiom for frustrating someone else's plans by taking what the other person wanted in the first place
There's an idiom in Argentina translated roughly as "to sleep someone" (dormir a alguien), which is used when someone frustrates the plans of someone else by taking what the other person ...
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What's the term for someone misunderstanding something someone else said so they can argue about the misunderstood version?
Saw this on reddit:
A: I'm a gun owner and I think any sort of gun sticker on a vehicle is cringe.
-> B: Ditto any sort of camo, esp. grey/urban camo prints, sure go ahead and tell the world you're ...
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Idiom for being watched after your bad actions
There's an idiom in Argentina translated as "To be in the chapel". It means that you'll be closely watched for a period of time to be sure you won't repeat errors, bad actions or behaviors ...
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What is the idiom that is often said to mean 'don't be meek'?
There is an idiom that says basically,
"Better to go out in a blaze, than burn out like candle."
I'm probably totally off, but it's something like that. The point of the cliche is not to ...
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Indispensable, Essential, "Tool of the trade", "Staple item"
I am looking for a term to use as the name of a software project that I am working on.
The project is a software tool, and this tool aims to be useful in virtually all software, so I am looking for a ...
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Converse phrase for "in writing" [closed]
Is there an converse phrase to "in writing", in the sense of completing a task or a calculation in-writing? This should have the sense of "in explicit thought, but not in physical ...
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What's a phrase that describes a person who keeps making attempts doomed to fail because they don't want their previous work to have been for nothing?
What's a phrase that describes a person who keeps making repeated attempts that they know are doomed to fail because they don't want all of their previous effort to have been for nothing?
They feel ...
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Synonymous phrase/idiom for "kangaroo court" that communicates a predetermined verdict
I am looking to replace the idiom "kangaroo court" in the following sentence:
Class followed its usual script. The professor took center stage, exposing the deep racism, sexism, colonialism ...
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Idiom to describe an insensitive comment
I saw an idiom used on Twitter a while back, but I don't remember what it was.
It was used in the context of someone making an unfunny joke about a sensitive topic such as Auschwitz. It was used like
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Word(s) meaning how "high/low resolution", "nested", "shallow/deep" or "derived" ideas/concepts are
I'm looking for a word or pair of words that refer to whether an idea is "high or low resolution" or high and low levels of analysis. I think a few examples are the best way to convey what I'...
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Word/term/saying that encapsulates the notion of something being ethically convenient
Lately I've encountered a few situations in discussions where I feel like there may be a word that is either more succinct and/or perhaps more wry than just 'ethically convenient'.
An example sentence ...
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"Told you!", but non-gender-neutral
There is a Russian comedy playback show, and I am trying to translate several funny fragments of it.
There is a married couple. The wife dislikes the friends of the family and is annoyed by them, but ...
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English equivalent for the Arabic saying: "A hungry man can't enjoy the beauty of the sunset"
In Arabic, this idiom is used to refer to the fact that when your survival, basic, or primitive needs are not met, you can't think of arts, music, your ambitions, or luxury.
e.g. A: "Why is he ...
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Scottish idiom for people talking too much
I'm trying to find a Scottish colloquial idiom that means that people talk too much (especially in a gossipping, hot air, or inconsequential way). Perhaps this might be along lines of the English '...
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Idiom similar to "saved by the bell"
I am writing a story in which a posh, pretentious grandmother is rather angry at her grandson for being sarcastic. Just as she is about to scold him, his uncle steps in and directs the conversation ...
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Another idiom for 'jumping the shark'
The term jump the shark was coined by Sean Connolly and Jon Hein in 1985, based on their premise that the scene that marks the beginning of the decline of the American television show Happy Days ...
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Idiom for someone acting extremely out of character
The following is from Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy:
'Do you want some sums?’
‘Not just at the moment,’ said Bhaskar. ‘My head is full of them.’
Maan could hardly believe this response. It was as if ...
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Similar quotes to "Eat the fish, spit the bones"
I need a quote similar to "Eat the fish, spit the bones".
Basically, I want to convey this to someone - "Look, on the internet you'll find 1000s of articles explaining this topic. Not ...
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Is there a word/phrase to call someone who hoards knowledge or information?
Knowledge hoarder and information hoarder refers to a person who keeps knowledge/information only for themselves,I am looking for a term that can be used to a person who gathers knowledge/information,...
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An idiom or term that pertains to defending and praising popular people just because they are successful and respected?
In Australia, we use the expression Tall poppy syndrome for a "social phenomenon that occurs when someone's success causes them to be envied, resented, criticized or discredited."
https://en....
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A word/phrase for something that often comes up in conversations
To find a affordable apartment was a big problem. University students would often
struggle to find a place to live. As I recall, that
was a —————— (= popular topic of our conversations = we always ...
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An idiom (or perhaps analogy -- metaphor/simile/etc) related to a lack of interest [closed]
I am writing a story about a character (Atsushi) meeting his partner. The first time he comes across a particular character (Wyatt) is when Wyatt offers him a new job after being fired for the nth ...
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Idiom for two people who seem vastly different from the outside but actually share many similarities
I'm searching for an idiom or common phrase that describes 2 people who seem vastly different (different upbringings, social status, etc.) on the outside, but actually have more in common than first ...
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Expression that denotes impossibility in a succeeding clause [duplicate]
I’m looking for an idiom or phrase that describes the impossibility/ludicrousness of something by comparing it to the near or full impossibility/ludicrousness of its lesser degree in a succeeding ...
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What is a word or phrase for student of the year? [closed]
I’m looking for a word/phrase similar to student of the year. I’m not using valedictorian, as I think it means student who has highest academic grade. I want to mean something that would mean like ...
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What's the English equivalent of the Italian 'sputare nel piatto dove si mangia'?
There's an Italian expression, 'sputare nel piatto dove si mangia', that literally means 'to spit on the plate where you eat', but really means:
to have an attitude of contempt, of strong criticism ...
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A phrase/idiom/expression to say that a problem is not new? [closed]
The problem of budget deficit has recently raised serious objections.
That is not a new problem, though.
I am looking for other phrases or idioms to say that something is not new, or not a new ...
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Best translation for the Egyptian idiom: "He falls standing"
When someone is really resilient, to the point that it seems no disaster could destroy them, Egyptians use this idiom, which means that even when they fall, they do not end up flat on the ground; they ...
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Whats the analogy for when something dawns on you or gets bigger as you go on with your life (kind of like a problem) [duplicate]
I'm writing a paper and trying to find an analogy for when something gets bigger as time goes on. For context, I'm writing about how as you progress further into your 20s, the fear of failure becomes ...
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What is an English phrase or idiom for an outsider suddenly taking control?
What is an English phrase or idiom with a negative connotation for "an outsider, most probably a non-politician, suddenly comes from nowhere and takes control of a political situation because the ...
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Idiom request: an unacceptable amount of effort
In German we have the idiom "doing handstands". It describes an unacceptably high amount of effort: The circumstances require it, but they themselves are considered unacceptable. Two ...
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How to say that something is not a matter of order?
In its attempts agains depopulation, the government issues new
rules to encourage people to have more child. But childbearing is
not —————— .
I want to say that childbearing is not a matter of order, ...
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Closest idiom to the Arabic: "You made my neck as small as a sesame seed"
In Arabic, the idiom "You made my neck as small as a sesame seed" is used to mean that someone related to you or a friend, put you in an embarassing situation with others. This idiom is ...
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Idiom where words are misleading
I'm trying to find an idiom with knowingly misleading words. For example, consider guinea pig: this animal definitely is not a pig, and its origin is not Guinea. Both words are misleading. In Russian ...
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An idiom for overzealous neophytes
Does English have any idioms for the tendency of many neophytes to try to be more Catholic than the Pope? (not necessarily in a religious sense only)
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An idiom or a saying like "give a dog a bone" or "throw someone a crumb"
This expression is often used to describe situations where someone is given a small reward or token gesture to keep them content, while the larger, more significant prize or benefit is kept hidden or ...
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Is there an idiom for failed attempts to capture the meaning of art?
When something has been said through art (music, poetry, painting), it is sometimes tempting to try to explain it using prose. When we ask a poet to tell us what her poem meant, we are asking her to ...
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What is the English equivalent for Russian idiom "jump into the last car of the departing train"?
There is a saying in Russian
To jump into the last car of the departing train
This basically means to use an opportunity at the last moment, to finally decide to do something right before it is too ...
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Name for the category of complex tasks/process where the standard is perfection
I'm looking for an English adjective, idiom, phrase, or principle to describe complex tasks/jobs/processes/things where the baseline is "perfection". And where people only notice the ...
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Looking for a word, phrase or expression that means "liking something which is generally considered bad for you"?
As per the title I am looking for a word, phrase, or expression which signifies liking something, taking pleasure, or being content with something generally considered negative.
For example, the media ...
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