Category: Idioms

Are you wondering about the meaning and origin of the idiomatic phrase, "stupid is as stupid does?" This post gives you everything you need to know about the use of this idiom. Meaning "Stupid is as stupid does" is a playground retort between young children that evolved into cultural use in adult society over the […]

Are you looking for the origin and meaning of the phrase "with bells on?" This post unpacks everything you need to know about this idiomatic expression. With Bells On Meaning The meaning of the idiomatic phrase "with bells on" refers to your eagerness to attend an event or your attitude toward completing a task. If […]

Did someone just tell you that they went "out on a limb" for you? This post unpacks this idiomatic expression's origin, meaning, and use. Go Out on a Limb Meaning To "go out on a limb" means that you are willing to face adversity for the greater good. You're likely placing yourself in a risky […]

Are you in a management meeting, and one of the executives mentions that the board needs to "right the ship?" If that is the case, you might have to start looking for another job if they can't identify the problem causing issues with its profitability. This post unpacks everything you need to know about the […]

Are you looking for a great compliment to pay someone? If you're trying to compliment the person's inner beauty, then you can use the expression, "beautiful inside and out." It's a common phrase, and you probably hear it all the time in conversation and in media. "Beautiful inside and out" is a great compliment, and […]

Are you headed into a bad part of town where there's a risk of danger? If so, you could alert your family or friends to "keep their head on a swivel." This post unpacks everything you need to know about this idiom's origin, meaning, and use. Keep Your Head on a Swivel Meaning "Keep your […]

Are you about to walk out the door of your home to grab dinner for your family? If so, you could tell your son to "hold down the fort" while you're out fetching the order. It's a way of telling him to look out for things while you're away. This post unpacks everything you need […]

Are you going to get in trouble at work? You could always take the dishonorable route and dodge the blame; just "pass the buck" to someone else on the team, and you'll get off scot-free. This post unpacks everything you need to know about the idiom, its origin, and it's meaning. Pass the Buck Meaning […]

"Tell me, Sam, that new proposal by the marketing department, a penny for your thoughts?" If you're looking to extract information from someone, then you can use this idiom as a way to entice them to give you the best reply possible. You're not going to pay them for their thoughts, but you will pay […]

Do you have a secret you're bursting to tell someone? That's the one thing we know about secrets – they are hard to keep. If you need to tell someone something private, and you want them to keep it to themselves, you could use the idiom "mums the word." This post unpacks the meaning, origin, […]