Questions tagged [phrase-requests]
This tag is for questions seeking a phrase or an expression that fits a meaning. If you're specifically seeking only a single word, see the "single word requests" tag too.
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Saying similar to Chinese 安贫乐道: "To be content with poverty and strive for virtue"?
There is a saying in Chinese, 安贫乐道, which means something along the lines of "To be content with poverty and strive for virtue."
I'm looking for something similar in English, even if it's ...
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7
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Idiom for standing out positively? [duplicate]
What's an idiom for describing the one good apple in a bunch?
This book's a ______
In a group where you may expect to find only bad members, one member may stand out as surprisingly positive, and ...
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What's "the archetypal book" called?
If a book sets the standard of a field, i.e. it is the most important book that students of subject X would all read, what can that book be called?
I've thought of gospel, archetype, exemplar, ...
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"Friendly fire" but with an added connotation of harm to both parties [closed]
Unlike the English "friendly fire", the narrower Hebrew equivalent - ירי דו-צדדי (lit. bi-directional fire or cross-fire) - has acquired an additional connotation of harm to both sides of ...
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Word for when someone tries to make others hate each other
Is there a single word in English that describes when someone tries to make others hate each other or fight? So, for example, If person A and B are neighbors, so in this situation Person C tries to ...
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The word for a serious situation that doesn't look it [closed]
Is there a term or word for a very serious situation that doesn't look serious, like a situation that needs or should have been attended to as early as possible but wasn't, because it doesn't seems ...
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Is there a phrase for someone who's really bad at cooking?
I'm looking for a phrase that describes someone who's really bad at cooking, similar to 'green fingers' for someone who's good at gardening. There doesn't seem to be any such phrase from a Google ...
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How would you say a couple of letters (as in mail) if they're not necessarily letters?
I'm used to saying "a couple of pieces of mail".
But thinking of it, "pieces" seems a bit strange. But "mails" sounds even stranger. And "packages" would be ...
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Is there a word/phrase that describes things people say to be "the smartest person in the room"? [duplicate]
Examples would be
(1) The tomato is not a vegetable
(2) Washington didn't really cut the Cherry Tree
(3) no evidence that Marie Antoinette said "let them eat cake"
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Idiomatic expression for "this will cost $1000 as if a penny"
In Hungarian, one can say "ehhez legalább $1000 kell, mint egy fillér". It means that a task will be expensive - $1000 might be enough to start but it might be much more, that is, $1000 ...
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What is a verb for "to hold or carry food in one’s pocket/pouch for some time"?
There is a verb in French called pocheter. Its meaning (taken from here), as well as an English translation, are as follows.
Serrer, porter pour quelque temps dans sa poche. Il ne se dit proprement ...
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Phrase for giving up?
I know there's a phrase that means giving up, but I can't remember it. It's in the context of the following question/text:
So you're saying I should just ________ and do whatever they want?
The ...
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0
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What is it called when the inference is biased internally but accurate externally?
Let say you are to make some inference about something, say a population. Typically you would take a small sample of that population and then make some inference. How you analyze that sample basically ...
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What is a word/phrase that best describes a "blatant disregard or neglect" for something, but with the connotation of that they should have known?
There's a word/phrase that I feel is on the tip of my tongue. How would you describe someone being unacceptably neglectful, disregarding, unprepared, or purposefully acting irresponsibly? Similar to ...
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Word/phrase for avoiding a task because it has a lot of unknowns
Have you ever needed to do a task/chore that has a lot of unknowns, and because of that it created a mental barrier to getting started?
For example,
You have to clean out a shed but you can't even ...
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What is a word for someone who uses power/authority for good? [closed]
I am looking for a word or term for someone who is powerful or holds authority and also uses it with good morality.
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A word combining 'menacing' and 'trashy'
I'm doing some proofreading and suggestions for a friend who's writing a book. In it, a rather vanilla middle-class white male American sees a Gothy punk woman (I'm butchering his description) with a ...
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1
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What would be a good humorous alternative to "Let's get a move on"? [closed]
You're stuck in traffic. It's bumper-to-bumper for no apparent reason, and you're annoyed. You want to shout:
"Guys, let's get a move on!"
But that's trivial and boring.
What would be a good ...
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Synonym for "of my production"
Let's say I produce something and sell it, e.g. honey. What would I write on the sign outside my shop? My initial ideas don't sound right:
Honey of my production?
In-house honey?
I'm looking for a ...
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Is there a better word for 'anonymity' here? [closed]
This is the sentence:
The Festival was the reason he had chosen this place to enter the country, the safety and 'anonymity' it provided would make his further travels much smoother.
Some context:
...
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A word or phrase that means "picky about something they can't have"
I'm searching for a word, phrase, or even an idiom to describe someone who is very picky about things out of their reach. For example, they may love Lamborghinis but think Ferraris are too overstyled ...
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Is there a word for problems that arise from solving another problem? [duplicate]
For example plastics were invented to make life easier. However, the invention of plastics created a new problem for us; plastic pollution.
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What do you call the male equivalent to Cougar (woman)?
What is the male equivalent to the term "cougar"?
Clarifying ... The term "cougar" describes an older woman seeking younger men. So a male equivalent would be an older man seeking ...
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4
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In need of the word or phrase describing studying or educating in a non-formal way or as a hobby
So when I was 14 years old I started an interest in psychology. I've been studying it (legitimate medical research articles, textbooks, clinical guides, etc vs googling) for almost 13 years at this ...
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Looking for a word/phrase for "fidgety" [closed]
I am looking for a single word or phrase to describe someone who mindlessly fidgets with things constantly.
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4
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81
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A famous saying or expression to convey "Your highest hopes are old memories to us"
I was wondering if there is a famous saying, an expression (preferably somewhat insulting in tone), to say "Your highest hopes are old memories to us".
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A phrase that means you are indifferent towards the things you are familiar with?
Locals may not even be as well-travelled in their own country as a tourist who is only there for a fraction of the time. Maybe they see the same tourist attractions from a distance time and time again,...
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What do you call a moderate victory?
In the following bible passage, Prophet Elisha prophesies that King Joash should take his bow and arrows, and subsequently orders Joash to use his arrows to strike the ground to signify a symbolic act....
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Phrase or Idiom [duplicate]
What is the phrase or Idiom, if any, that describes two persons who don't move forward because they step from side to side to allow the other to pass as a mark of courtesy?
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Phrase or expression for being on the second level in terms of worseness
Emigration rate for this country is only lower than that of war-zone
countries.
The sentence is meant to say that the emigration rate of this country is so high that is right after that of war-zone ...
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Is there a specific word/phrase for when you recognise a location from a film/TV/the News?
I'm thinking about the eerie feeling you get when you go to a place and you recognise that it was once plastered all over the news because a serious crime was committed there - or if a serious crime ...
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Is there a term for 'Era when the gods walked amongst men'?
I need it for a story. I cannot use 'era when the gods walked amongst men' every time. So, is there a word in native English or borrowed from another language which has the same or a similar meaning? ...
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A contradictory statement to prove that the phrase just spoken doesn't make sense, or is impossible: "What? that's like saying ___"
A phrase that would work to show that the previous statement is contradictory. Something that is very clearly a paradox/contradictory. "Vegan bacon" would work if it wasn't a real thing. Not ...
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Is there a word or phrase for when people share a way of thinking?
I’m looking for a word of phrase that describes when two people have not only similar perspectives, but come to those perspectives the same ways. Where their value system and thought processes are so ...
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Is there a word or phrase that describes when there is a mismatch between a standard call and response type interaction e.g. greetings & farewells
I have noticed this especially in children when they reach around 5-9 years old, when you ask them questions like, "What's up?", they will automatically respond with, "Good!". Or, &...
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What do you call the other class of the same year and its students?
In a school that has more than one class for each (or most) grade(s), for example, 5A and 5B for 5th grade, what do you call the other (not yours) class and its students?
In Russian, it's literally a ...
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Creation in a Biblical sense of producing material out of nothing
Is there a word, phrase or idiom that means creation, in a Biblical sense of producing material, out of nothing?
Example; In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Is there no concise ...
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someone much too enthusiastic about something that doesn't concern them
A group of people is too interested, enthusiastic, and excited about a basketball tournament taking place in Armenia when they live in the farthest country from Armenia in the world—New Zealand. They ...
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Word for a path that already exists made by others of an archtype?
I'm looking for a word here; the word for what the user made path is...
Let me tell you a story...a story about users...
When I was in college; there was a well trampled bit of grass next to the ...
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What do you call the habit of using an example/thought process instead of a specific descriptive word?
I've noticed a tendency (including on the part of certain politicians!) these days to substitute specific words or vocab with a descriptive phrase or almost a stream of consciousness, I guess usually ...
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Is there a word to describe words that sound similar. but which are to0 distinct to be homonyms?
Is there a word, phrase, or other descriptor, that describes two or more words that have a similar - but very specifically not identical - sound to each other, but which have different meanings?
...
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Is there a word or phrase for an 'unwanted favor'? [duplicate]
When I give advice to someone and s/he does not need it, is there a word to describe the advice? More generally, is there a word that refers to an act that is meant as a favor but is not received as ...
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What is it called when two things both have to happen first? [duplicate]
There is something in architecture and construction that is termed "build-ability." I am an architect and builder - it is not that unusual for a clever client to play architect and improve ...
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What is a word for battery "longevity"?
I do NOT mean battery "life" which is how long a battery holds charge. Battery life is usually like 12-24 hours. The word I'm seeking refers to the time you can use the battery daily until ...
0
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1
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Is Weasel Poo on a Door Knob a Recognised Expression? [duplicate]
The heading says it all. I have seen the above expression (or a few variants) used to describe something smooth, whether a person, or a literal surface. An example,
When it comes to women, Alex is ...
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Need a witty alternative to "what's your problem?" [closed]
So if I've got a confrontation between two characters, and one of them is supposed to be somewhat creative and humourous, what is a witty way of putting that old provocation "what's your problem?&...
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People who frequently travel in planes are called…?
What do you call people who travel in a plane?
I know "passenger" is appropriate but that is also true for travelling in taxis, trains, ships, and buses. Also, a passenger suggests someone ...
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A Ghost Town (but NOT)
I'm looking to describe (in one word/phrase) the concept of a town losing its economic popularity. Shops closing due to higher business rates. Traffic levels reducing due to lack of employment/poor ...
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1
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The expression relating to bugs biting each other, causing them to move faster in a swarm
This may extend beyond the scope of this stack exchange. In some notes I am writing for a class, I identify that capitalism always demands growth since everyone is always competing to outdo one other.
...
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What is the term for look that asks for thinking? And the question that incites thinking?
Imagine this scenario. Two people are having a conversation in which one is trying to explain something to the other. During the course of conversation, the exponent asks the other person a question ...
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