Category: Phrases

Did a colleague just remind you about an important meeting you forgot was happening this afternoon? If so, you could tell them, "thanks for the reminder." This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning "Thank you for the reminder" is a polite gesture to say to someone that does you a favor. […]

Are you getting ready to leave on your road trip across the country? If so, you could yell “anchors away” to your friends as you leave the driveway to signal the start of your adventure. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The official meaning of the saying is to pull […]

Is your friend annoying you by telling you what to do while playing World of Warcraft? You could always ask them to shut up and stop backseat gaming. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The meaning of the expression "backseat gaming" is similar to the expression "backseat driving." With backseat […]

Did your girlfriend tell you she’s “dressing to the nines” for your birthday dinner tonight? What does she mean? This post unpacks the origin and meaning of this expression. Meaning If you’re “dressed to the nines,” it means that you are looking above and beyond what is expected of your appearance in a stylish way. […]

Are you looking for a way to end your phone call with a friend without being rude? If so, you could tell them that you have “errands to run,” and you’ll call them back later. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning If you tell someone you have “errands to run,” […]

Are you looking for the best greeting to say to a find you haven't seen in a while? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of the expression, "son of a gun." Meaning The expression "son of a gun" suits many occasions. Typically, you're referring to another man or boy encouragingly. The saying can apply […]

Did you just finish dinner at a friend’s house and thank them for the meal? If they respond with “you’re more than welcome,” what do they mean? Is it possible to be more than welcome? Is that a thing? This post unpacks the mean8ing and origin of this saying. Meaning If someone tells you that […]

Did you get back from a scan at the hospital? If your doctor calls you and tells you that he found your test results "grossly unremarkable," what does she mean? This post unpacks everything you need to know about the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "grossly unremarkable" means that everything appears […]

Are you toying with something that isn’t what you thought it was? If that’s the case, you could say that we will all laugh at gilded butterflies. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The meaning of “we will all laugh at gilded butterflies” means that something that appears nice will […]

If someone tells you that you to "stare into the abyss," what do they mean? Are they worried about your well-being? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this proverb. Meaning The proverb "stare into the abyss" is a shorter version of "stare into the abyss, and the abyss stares back at you." The […]