About: Pearson

Did someone reference the phrase “kiss me, Hardy”? You may wonder what it means and assume it to be an idiom. “Kiss me, Hardy” is, in fact, a famous phrase the famous Admiral Nelson reportedly uttered on his deathbed. This post explores the circumstances behind the words. Meaning “Kiss me, Hardy” is neither an idiom […]

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 […]

Are you arguing with someone about the benefits of staying healthy? You could say “Prevention is better than cure” to describe how your lifestyle stops you from getting sick later in life. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this proverbial expression. Meaning The proverbial expression “prevention is better than cure” means dealing with […]

Have you been a total mess since your boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with you? A friend might tell you to “pull yourself together” and stop spiraling, words of advice meant to help you move on. This post unpacks the origin and meaning of this widely-used idiom and shows you how to incorporate it into […]

Did you stub your toe on the door? You could say it hurts "like the Dickens" to describe the pain. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "like the Dickens" is an intensifier used to replace other, more offensive language. Its original use was as a replacement for "the […]

Are you about to start a new business, and did someone tell you being an entrepreneur is more complicated than you think? You could retort that you “have no illusions” about going into business and let them know you’re prepared to do what it takes to succeed. This post explores the phrase “I Have No […]

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 […]

Did you suggest going somewhere for dinner, and your partner said, "If I had my druthers," before making an alternate suggestion? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "if I had my druthers" is a combination abbreviation of the words "would" and "rather." So, if you use "if I […]

Did a guy expect you to split the check on your date? You could say you wanted him to "foot the bill" instead of splitting the check. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "foot the bill" means covering a debt's entire costs. If you "foot the bill," you […]

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” […]