Are you teaching someone a vital life skill? If so, you could say you “give a man a fish” to describe training them. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning This proverbial saying means that teaching a person a skill is of more benefit to them than giving them a hand-out. […]
Hindsight is 20-20 – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to tell someone that it's easy to reflect on what you could have done in a situation, but it doesn't matter? If so, you could use "hindsight is 20-20." This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The phrase "hindsight is 20-20" means that we can […]
You Can Lead a Horse to Water – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to describe someone's stubborn attitude towards heeding your advice? If so, you can use "you can take a horse to water." This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The proverbial expression "you can lead a horse to water" is the shorter version of "you can […]
Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to tell people that too many people are working on a project? If so, you could say, "too many cooks spoil the broth." This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The proverbial expression "too many cooks spoil the broth" means that having too much input […]
The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Do you know what a pangram is? It’s a word or phrase using nearly all the letters in the English language. One of the only sayings using all of the letters is “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” That’s right, count them if you want. You’ll find all 26 letters present in […]
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to describe someone's son emulating his father's behavior and character traits? If so, you can use "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The phrase "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" refers to someone's child […]
Like Father like Son – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to tell someone that they display their father's behavior and characteristics? You could say, “like father, like son.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression “like father, like son” refers to a child emulating their father's behavior. The phrase can have a positive […]
Knock It Out of the Park – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to motivate someone's performance? If so, you could tell them to "knock it out of the park." This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression "knock it out of the park" acts as a motivating statement. You can use the phrase before someone undertakes […]
Jack of All Trades – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to describe a person that’s good at a range of activities? Maybe you need a saying to describe someone with a surface understanding of many topics but doesn’t specialize in their knowledge” If so, you can use “Jack of all trades.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of […]
It Ain't Over Till the Fat Lady Sings – Meaning, Origin and Usage
Are you looking for a way to motivate yourself or a team to give it all they’ve got in the face of adversity? You can use “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings.” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The saying “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings” […]