About: Pearson

Did your boss say the business got some bad press? You could tell him, "There's no such thing as bad publicity." This post unpacks the meaning and origin of the expression. Meaning The expression "there's no such thing as bad publicity" means that all mentions of a person or entity in the media serve them […]

Did a friend tell you the government is passing a mandate that limits freedom? You could say, "the law is an ass," to show your disdain for the action. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "the law is an ass" means the application of the law goes against […]

Do you want to explain how a task is easy? You could say it's "as simple as that" when referring to its execution. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "simple as that" means something is easy to comprehend or understand. It refers to something uncomplicated, requiring no advanced […]

Many people enjoy getting a massage, whether to relax or to get relief from sore muscles — but not all massage services are alike. If a man tells you he’s been for a “rub and tug,” he got more than a massage. Read on to discover what a rub and tug is and where this […]

Did your aunt have hip replacement surgery? You might say that she is “on the road to recovery” and getting better every day. Keep reading to discover what this phrase means, how it originated, and how to add it to your vocabulary. Meaning The idiom “on the the road to recovery” means that someone is […]

Did your annoying neighbor ask you to join her weekly Bible study group? If you’re too busy, you could thank her and say you have “too much on your plate” already. Keep reading to learn more about the meaning and history of this useful idiom. Meaning The English idiom “[having] too much on [someone’s] plate” […]

Did your friend tell you "the best is yet to come" was originally sung by Tony Bennett, not Frank Sinatra? What does this phrase mean? This post unpacks its definition and origin. Meaning The expression "the best is yet to come" means that all the events occurring in your life right now will eventually be […]

Do you desperately want to get rid of a persistent door-to-door salesman who pushed his foot in the door to convince you to buy his set of amazing plastic containers? You might yell, “Take a hike!” to get the message across. Learn more about the meaning and origin of this idiom in this post. Meaning […]

Did your friend tell you their boss "raked them over the coals" at work today? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "raked over the coals" means to give someone a hard time for their actions or words. It defines a severe scolding by a peer or authority in […]

Did your friend tell you the local cinema is going to "rack and ruin?" This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "rack and ruin" means something is falling into a state of disrepair or complete destruction. For instance, the local cinema might be falling into rack and ruin due […]