Are you afraid that a sullen, disgruntled, coworker is about to do something violent? You could say that you’re scared he is “going postal.” This post explores what the phrase means, where it comes from, and how to use it in a sentence. Meaning The American expression “going postal” means that someone is about to […]

Have you ever invested time or money into something only to find that your efforts didn’t pan out? Perhaps you loaned someone money and they never paid you back? If so, then the idiom “down the drain” is a great idiom that can apply to your situation. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of […]

Is there something that you can do with a high level of accuracy? Perhaps you know someone who can recall most of what they see or hear? Have you or someone you know practiced something so often that you have it perfected? If so, the perfect phrase for this is “down pat”. This post unpacks […]

Are you facing a complex problem that seems too difficult to overcome? Maybe you are being pitted against a team that has excellent coordination. If so, then now is the perfect time to use the divide and conquer tactic to prevail. Be it in a professional setting or on the battlefield, breaking up the opposition […]

Are you looking for a way to tell someone they’ve gone too far, and you are angry? You could say that they’ve “crossed the line.” This post unpacks what this idiom means, where it came from, and how to use it. Meaning The idiom “to cross a line” means someone has overstepped, broken established rules, […]

Would you like to use a phrase that describes people who see things from the same point of view? The phrase ‘seeing eye to eye’ is a common English saying that can be used to mean just that. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this common phrase. Meaning The phrase ‘seeing eye to […]

Have you seen the phrase ‘a stone’s throw’ somewhere and would like to know more about the context and origin of the saying ? ‘A stone’s throw’ is a common figurative saying that is used to indicate a short, nondescript distance. This post unpacks the meaning, origin, and common use of the expression. Meaning The […]

Have you seen the expression ‘that’s the way the cookie crumbles’ and would like to know more about the common use and context of the saying? It’s a common figurative saying in the English language. This post unpacks its meaning, origin, and use. Meaning The saying ‘that’s the way the cookie crumbles’ is a type […]

Have you seen the phrase ‘the stone that the builder refused’ somewhere in a text or on the internet and would like to know more about what the saying means? The phrase ‘the stone that the builder refused’ is a common figurative saying with origins in the Bible. This post unpacks the meaning and origin […]

Have you seen the expression ‘movers and shakers’ somewhere and would like to know more about the meaning and context of it? The phrase ‘movers and shakers’ is a common figurative saying in English. This post unpacks its meaning, origin and common use. Meaning The expression ‘movers and shakers’ is a type of figurative saying […]