Category: Phrases

Are you going to watch a ‘PG-13’ rated movie at the cinema? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The term ‘PG-13’ means ‘Parental guidance for children under 13.’ It’s a rating assigned by the Motion Picture Association of America designed to advise parents on the content in a film or […]

Do you identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender? If so, you’re part of the LGBT community. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this initialism. Meaning The initialism ‘LGBT’ stands  for ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender.’ It’s an inclusive term describing people from alternate sexual identities. ‘LGBT’ encompasses the entire range of alternate sexual […]

Did you visit someone’s home overflowing with useless trinkets they like to collect? You could call them a ‘hoarder.’ This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression ‘hoarder’ describes a mental health condition where a person collects useless items that mean something to them. For instance, the person may collect […]

Are you wondering what the 'FAQ' page is on a website map? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The acronym 'FAQ' stands for 'Frequently Answered Questions'. It's commonly used in website maps, articles, emails, and PDFs. FAQs are questions repeatedly asked by users reading your material. You use FAQs to […]

Are you studying a textbook for your classes at college? You might run across the abbreviation ‘e.g.’ in your work. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The abbreviation ‘e.g.’ stands for the Latin words ‘exempli gratia.’ In English, it means ‘for example’ or ‘for the sake of an example.’ You’ll […]

Are you looking to hold people's attention before you make an important announcement? You could ask them to 'stay tuned' for updates. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression 'stay tuned' means that you have exciting news coming up that people will want to hear. It means that you […]

Is there someone in your office that knows everything there is to know about Excel? Maybe there is a professor at your college that has an answer to every question regarding the topic they teach? If so, it is appropriate to say that they are well versed in the subject at hand. This post unpacks […]

Are you about to click on the ‘TOS’ issued by a social media update? Do you ever read the terms and conditions? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this acronym. Meaning The acronym ‘TOS’ stands for ‘Terms of Service.’ It’s the same expression as ‘terms and conditions,’ but with a more formal term. […]

Did a girl just tell you she doesn't date anyone that doesn't earn at least 'six figures'? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression 'six figures' relates to a person's annual salary. If you're earning six figures, you have a yearly income of $100,000 or more. For decades, making […]

Are you looking for a standard legal agreement for your business? You could say you're searching for a 'boilerplate' document. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression 'boilerplate' refers to written copy reused in applications without the need for any significant changes to the document. 'Boilerplate' can refer to […]