Category: Idioms

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 […]

People sometimes sacrifice innocents to benefit the group or to save themselves. You can use the idiom “thrown to the wolves” to describe the fate these victims suffer. This post unpacks the idiom’s fascinating history and shows how “thrown to the wolves” differs from seemingly similar expressions. Meaning The primarily American idiom “to throw [someone] […]

Did your friends laugh at your joke? You could close with, “thank you, folks, try the veal.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression “try the veal” is similar to “that’s all, folks!” It’s a way of closing a joke or a comedy set. It’s similar to the saying […]

Are you looking for a way to avert, direct or deflect something or someone on another course" You could say, "turn aside" to get them moving in another direction? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "turn aside" means to refuse entry or turn someone away from a venue or place. […]

Did your friend tell you a football player flew "under the radar" this season, and they only noticed their skills now? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "under the radar" means something that went unnoticed or avoided your attention. It's another way to say something escapes your attention, […]

Does an older person in your life keep mournfully complaining that everything used to be better in the olden days? That person is “waxing nostalgic.” Learn what this phrase means, where it came from, and how to use it in this post. Meaning The phrase “waxing nostalgic” or “to wax nostalgic” means speaking at length […]

Are you looking for a way to describe an intense feeling of nervousness, fear, or embarrassment? You could say you feel “weak in the knees.” Keep reading for more information on the history and meaning of this handy idiom. Meaning The popular phrase “weak in the knees” means feeling very nervous or scared or having […]

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 see someone you dislike and suddenly turn to anger? You could say you flew into a "fit of rage." This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "fit of rage" means someone lost control of their emotions and displayed a bad temper or outburst of anger at someone […]

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 […]