Are you looking for a way to explain a fall from grace or describe a cycle? If so, you could use “what goes up must come down.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression “what goes up must come down” means that something with a meteoric rise to power […]
Category: Idioms
You Can’t Have Your Cake & Eat It Too – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to tell someone that they have to make a hard choice? If so, you could use “you can’t have your cake and eat it too.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The meaning of “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” refers […]
You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to tell someone that they are set in their ways? If they struggle to learn new concepts or don’t pay them any mind, you could say that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression “you […]
Don’t Count Your Chickens Before they Hatch – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to tell someone to temper their expectations? If so, you can use "don't count your chickens before they hatch." This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The proverbial expression "don't count your chickens before they hatch" means you should temper your expectations with an imagined […]
Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Is someone telling you about their achievements and their abilities? Maybe you feel like they’re embellishing their skillset? If so, you could challenge them to prove their worth by saying, “talk the talk and walk the walk.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression “talk the talk and walk […]
Ships Passing in the Night – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a saying to describe a brief meeting or moment with another person you’ll never see again? If so, you could use the phrase, “ships passing in the night.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression “ships passing in the night” refers to a chance, a […]
Rubber Meets the Road – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to tell someone that it’s time to implement and prove a concept? You could use the saying “rubber meets the road” to announce the start of the project. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression “rubber meets the road” means that you’re about […]
Elephant in the Room – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you feeling uncomfortable about a topic that no one seems to address? If so, you could tell them that you need to talk about “the elephant in the room.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression “the elephant in the room” refers to a taboo or undiscussed topic. […]
Chip on Your Shoulder – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for an expression that defines an angry person who always seems to have a bad attitude? If so, you could tell them, “you have a chip on your shoulder.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The meaning of a “chip on your shoulder” refers to a person […]
Birds of a Feather Flock Together – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to describe a gathering of like-minded people? If so, you could use the saying “birds of a feather flock together.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The meaning of “birds of a feather flock together” refers to a group of people who share similar […]