Category: Phrases

Are you looking for a way to tell someone you want to get to the fundamentals of a topic or the core of it? For example, you could tell someone that you want to “get down to the nitty-gritty” of the subject. Keep reading if you’d like to know more about the meaning and history […]

Has the sports team you support won all matches they played in recent memory? You could say that your team is “on a roll.” This post dives into the meaning and origin of this fascinating idiom. Of course, we’ll also show you how to use “on a roll” in a sentence. Meaning The common English […]

Are your kids mindlessly running around the house? You could say they will "run amok" until you tell them to stop. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "run amok" means to behave in a disorderly or wild manner. If someone is "running amok," they display crazy, outlandish behavior […]

Are you looking for a way to describe something as "similar, but with reversed positions?" You could use the term “vice versa” to describe this scenario. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression “vice versa” means “with position turned” or “the other way around.” It’s a way of calling […]

Would you like to tell someone that a particular thing would be best decided by them instead of you? The phrase 'your call' is a common English expression that can be used to mean just this. This post unpacks the meaning, origin, and proper usage of this common saying. Meaning The phrase 'your call' is […]

Would you like to use an informal phrase that sounds casual, and means that someone has, or is going to get married? The phrase 'get hitched' is a common figurative saying in the English language that can be used to mean just that. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this discussion. Meaning The […]

Have you seen the phrase 'gum tree' or 'up a gum tree' somewhere and would like to know more about the meaning and use of the saying? The phrase 'up a gum tree' is a less common figurative saying in English that is often forgotten about until someone mentions it. This post unpacks the meaning, […]

The phrase 'black mood' is a common saying in the English language that can sometimes confuse people who hear it for the first time. Have you seen the phrase 'black mood' somewhere and would like to know more about the meaning and context of the saying? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of 'black […]

Would you like to use a phrase that implies something goes on further than the discussion allows for, much like the use of 'et cetera' does? The saying 'and so on' is common in the English language. This post unpacks the meaning, origin, and common use of the phrase. Meaning The phrase 'and so on' […]

Have you seen the phrase 'Gordon Bennett!' somewhere and would like to know more about what the saying could mean in the context which it was used? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this common saying, which became a popular exclamation of astonishment in the English language. Meaning The phrase 'Gordon Bennett' is […]