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.
5,859
questions
2
votes
1
answer
83
views
What is the city equivalent of 'hillbilly hell"?
As you may have already known, and for those of you who don't know, hillbilly hell is a term used to mock the countryside in the USA, with all of its perceived flaws (insular, racist, decaying ...). ...
- 29
0
votes
4
answers
90
views
Another way to say "I identify as"
I was hoping this group of educated people could help me find another phrase for "I identify as". Ideally I'm looking for a phrase to replace this one that's used in the transgender ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
55
views
To make people get used to and accept the bad by showing them the worse
I am searching for an idiomatic expression for making people accept and get used to what they normally wouldn't by showing or making them experience a worse one.
Edit; when authority wants to increase ...
0
votes
0
answers
21
views
Not so good and Bangla [closed]
You must not have any question about the existence of GOD.
Is this sentence is correct?
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
45
views
Another phrase for "he is a very easy person to scare"? [duplicate]
Can I have another phrase for the sentence/phrase;
He is a very easy person to scare.
Please I need this because I am writing a story which I'm going to produce when I'm finished...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
72
views
Is there a word or phrase for when you're at the whim of someone?
I'm writing a short bio of my character who has made a contract with a demon and is now required to do her bidding. He's not necessarily a slave, he still has the freedom to do whatever he likes, I ...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
90
views
What is a phrase to describe asking a question that you’re afraid to know the answer to?
I’m writing a line where a character is very anxious, and asks a person a question, but is sort of afraid to know the answer. I’ve written it as “[Question]?” Character X asked character Y, but I feel ...
- 101
1
vote
0
answers
131
views
More common terms for "tall poppy syndrome"
I came across this New York Times article:
Ms. Hathaway could simply be a victim of what the British call “tall poppy syndrome” — the bloom that pokes above the others is the first to get cut.
I ...
- 654
8
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Is there a (current or historical) word for the extremes on the left-right axis?
Is there, or has there ever been, an unambiguous word for "the leftmost extreme" or "the rightmost extreme"? Such words exist for the other two dimensions.
Imagine you are ...
- 256
1
vote
4
answers
110
views
How can I describe different directions of hatching in a scientific diagram?
I am writing a scientific article and I need to describe the two hatched areas in the Figure below. How do you call these? Upward hatching and downward hatching? Or what?
E.g.
The upward hatching ...
- 809
0
votes
2
answers
89
views
Inspiration catalyst? Looking for a term that describes seemingly out of the blue inspiration
I'm looking for a term for a curious situation that I've found myself in a couple of times.
A person discusses a new concept/invention.
I am a part of that conversation or simply overhear it.
I ...
- 2,110
1
vote
1
answer
55
views
A term (or phrase) for when a person tries to represent the rarest scenario as the most common
For context:
This term or phrase is what it's called when a person (very often used in political debates) will try to take the rarest occurrence of any particular topic and present it as if it's the ...
- 11
2
votes
0
answers
43
views
Is there any idiom in English for when something good happens, but you can’t be hopeful about it. Because it is temporary [closed]
An idiom in English for when you can’t be hopeful about something good. Because it is temporary, better not be hopeful. Is there something like that?
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
133
views
Colloqial idiomatic metaphor for incomplete logic?
Seems like[1] I vaguely recall some colorful expression for conveying a rhetorical failure to complete a logical argument. Something along the lines of “failing to tie the knot” or “complete the ...
- 185
0
votes
2
answers
65
views
How to convey the point (on a resume) that you solved a problem that lasted for years?
I want to say that I solved a programming bug and has been around for years in my resume. I currently have something like "Debugged long standing bug" but I don't think it conveys that ...
- 127
-1
votes
1
answer
77
views
How to convey a relation between a parameter and two things that it controls in opposite directions?
In writing the user manual for a piece of software, I'm trying to communicate the relationship between a numerical control, which I'll call frob, and two properties, which I'll call foo and bar.
...
- 99
3
votes
17
answers
3k
views
Word for 'eroded' with a positive connotation
The context is a path being eroded with use, except it's more like the path is being crafted with love by use. Are there any better words or phrases to fit this use?
- 31
0
votes
0
answers
54
views
Phrase Request: Lyric Subversion [duplicate]
I've noticed this quite often from Disney sound tracks.
Lyrics are in a certain rhyming scheme - one line happens and the next line approaches the end of the line, but the last word subverts the rhyme....
- 239
1
vote
0
answers
46
views
Expression for a strategy of waiting for a small transgression that can be blown out of proportion?
Imagine that Alice is the President of Arstotzka. Alice has a lot of enemies but she's generally an upstanding President so her critics have a hard time building a campaign against her. Instead, the ...
- 824
0
votes
0
answers
94
views
Word for someone who is attracted to people without make-up
I'm wondering what native English speakers call a person (man or woman) who is attracted to a no-make-up look and dislikes it when people wear a high amount of makeup.
I can think of no-makeup lover ...
- 347
0
votes
0
answers
62
views
What is the turn of phrase for a woman who is always working/busy?
I believe I heard someone refer to a woman who is always busy as a "Busy Bettie", but I can't remember the expression, and it is surprisingly relevant to my life 3 years later. It was a ...
0
votes
1
answer
112
views
What’s the name of a fallacy where a proposed solution is only discussed in terms of benefits?
As an example, mandating that every single car driver wears a motorcycle helmet would probably reduce the number of deaths and head injuries from car accidents. But of course it would be highly ...
- 824
0
votes
2
answers
55
views
How to emphasize wide range of something (in two different senses)? [closed]
In a scientific abstract, I have a sentence like this:
Yet, numerous capture-mark-recapture data sets, across wide taxonomic
range, feature transient individuals.
I want to emphasize that there are ...
- 809
1
vote
0
answers
146
views
Specific type of deception or logic error
The word I'm looking for should describe a case where, during a logical argument, a person uses a word with multiple definitions in sense (1) in one part of the argument, but in another part of the ...
- 163
4
votes
1
answer
129
views
Word for dangerous semi-knowledge, equivalent of German "gefährliches Halbwissen" [duplicate]
In German, there is a phrase like "dangerous semi-knowledge" gefährliches Halbwissen. Wiktionary definition:
a degree of superficial knowledge that becomes dangerous or deceptive because it ...
- 171
-3
votes
6
answers
165
views
Word or phrase for something big that causes curiosity and starts a never-ending quest [closed]
I am stuck writing this sentence:
Relics such as Fortran, B, D and other programming languages continue to stay alive, stories of programming languages in the graveyard, and those that spurred magic ...
- 115
1
vote
0
answers
62
views
Sentence improvement too redundant [closed]
Can this be improved?
The last tale of success on a constructed new programming language is
one at the famous X, LLC.
or,
The last tale of success of a constructed new programming language is
one ...
- 115
-1
votes
4
answers
72
views
What is the phrase for non-essential details added at the end of a summary? [duplicate]
A TLDR summary is used to shorten a long detailed article. However, what if you have written a brief and concise summary, but would like to add further non-essential background details at the end?
- 99
0
votes
4
answers
319
views
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 ...
0
votes
5
answers
326
views
"In the flesh" for things
When we meet someone we have only heard about before, our impressions of them may be confirmed or be revised. We can say, after meeting them, that they are different in the flesh (i.e. compared to ...
- 17.9k
0
votes
2
answers
98
views
How would I go about saying a character is on the run from the cops in the 1760s?
I'm writing a short story set in 1767 and I don't feel like 'on the run from the cops' makes sense in that period. I know cops existed back then, the words just don't sit right with me in that ...
- 19
4
votes
10
answers
2k
views
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 ...
- 330
0
votes
4
answers
107
views
Is there a shorter expression for 'are not commonly discussed as much as'?
I am currently doing some writing, and constantly try to create smooth transition and ease of readability and linkage between sentences. This sentence feels like it kind of halts the reader a bit.
...
- 115
1
vote
4
answers
117
views
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 ...
- 814
0
votes
2
answers
47
views
"especially" without meaning more so?
I want to say something along the lines of "We must protect everyone, especially children".
But this doesn't exactly work for what I want to say. Because I do not mean that children are MORE ...
- 131
1
vote
1
answer
72
views
Is there a term for people who make excuses for an exception that their own actions necessitate? [closed]
Like how Taylor Swift fans say that she needs to take private jets because fans would make her taking public transport untenable. So it's the fans themselves that are the reason for her behaviour, ...
user486022
2
votes
1
answer
368
views
Is there an opposite for the saying "winner winner chicken dinner"?
Maybe something like, "loser loser drunken boozer"?
I couldn't find examples online, other things come up in a search.
A scenario to be used in would be when someone loses a competition and ...
user486022
0
votes
1
answer
60
views
How would you describe someone as intelligent using a similar phrase to "she has fire in her belly"?
I'm writing a speech about someone and I would like to describe them as intelligent using a similar phrase to the way that "she has fire in her belly" would describe her as being passionate ...
- 101
1
vote
4
answers
100
views
adjective for "not known to be needed"
Is there an adjective or shortish expression for an item that is "not known to be needed".
Context: at the beginning of a process, all items are "unknown as to whether they will be ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
226
views
What is the origin of the phrase "toothless wonder" and what's the meaning of this?
Google says just that "toothless wonder" is an individual in the public who is lacking a single front tooth. Well, that's logical. But what's the purpose of word "wonder" then?
If ...
- 11
1
vote
3
answers
74
views
What is a phrase for when someone demonstrates the opposing point by trying to demonstrate their point? [duplicate]
I think there is a re-occurring situation where someone uses some example of something as a strong argument for a position they have. Yet, ironically, you may feel the example they chose actually ...
- 300
3
votes
3
answers
405
views
One word or a phrase other than those given to describe testing how a person reacts to a test move
I am looking for a generic word/term for an act which is done to test the response of the opponent. In other words, how a person reacts to a move, before the final act is executed.
Let me elucidate it ...
- 165
3
votes
4
answers
245
views
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 ...
- 33
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
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 ...
- 141
7
votes
12
answers
2k
views
A phrase similar to "It's what you do that makes you who you are"
I remembered this really corny phrase today when I was on a walk but I forgot later before I could write it down.
It's kind of like "You are what you eat" but with different words.
It's not:
...
26
votes
17
answers
7k
views
Alternative to "don't put your eggs in one basket" that doesn't refer to eggs?
Is there a phrase with a similar meaning to the phrase
Don't put all your eggs in one basket
which doesn't make reference to eggs?
I'm writing a story in which one character is a bird and I feel it ...
- 543
1
vote
1
answer
126
views
What is a similar word or phrase to 'Marmite' to describe something that you start off hating, but grow to love – or vice versa? [duplicate]
We're fairly all aware of 'Marmite' – love it or hate it. As in "X's music is Marmite". Or 'a Marmite thing'.
But what would be a similar way to describe something that you start off hating, ...
- 445
0
votes
1
answer
73
views
Term for someone who does their own thing and is indifferent to popularity or social norms
I want a term for someone who generally doesn't care about their individual popularity or how other's view them and as such is willing to break social expectations about behaviors and do their own ...
- 667
-2
votes
4
answers
76
views
Is there a better word than 'individualization' to describe a class-based or communitarian society moving to an individualized society? [closed]
Trying to summarize the process of a class-based or communitarian society moving to an individualized society, in particular to highlight the negative aspects. The word "individualization" ...
- 45
0
votes
0
answers
45
views
Looking for alternative to "opened a can of worms" [duplicate]
Looking for alternative to "opened a can of worms" in the following sentence...
It needs to be graphical enough for a young readership to grasp, a readership that won't have heard of Pandora'...
