Old-school news, just in time
by Kevin Burton The 70s was the grooviest decade there ever could be. I mean it was far out! I know because I was hip to the trip back then. But to-ge-ther as we were, we didn’t invent slang. That has been spoken forever, and continues to this day. Here’s a Dictionary …
Continue reading “Bombshells And Chill Pills, Slang In Our Times”
by Dictionary Scoop When a new year arrives, we focus on time. And because time plays such a central role in our lives, it’s no surprise that it’s also a key part of our everyday language. Today we’re exploring the origins and meanings of ten time-related idioms you’ve probably never stopped to think about. 1-A …
by Kevin Burton Today’s list from Merriam-Webster, words about hair, got me thinking about the term, “bad hair day.” Is bad hair day an idiom? The dictionary says an idiom is, “an expression in the usage of a language that has a meaning that cannot be understood from the combined meanings of its …
by Dictionary Scoop We often say things like “break the ice” or “hit it off” when discussing hanging out with people, without giving much thought to these idioms. But each one has a specific origin and meaning. Have you ever stopped to think about these 12? 1-Break the ice The phrase “break the …
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by Dictionary Scoop A lot of slang terms and everyday words have surprisingly rich backstories tied to real historical events and practices. These expressions once described literal experiences before turning into figures of speech. What was their first, literal meaning? 1-Run-of-the-mill “Run-of-the-mill” these days means something ordinary or unremarkable, like in the sentence: The …
by Dictionary Scoop Health is an important issue for everyone, and our language is proof of that! English offers us many health-related idioms with very interesting origins. To discover the meaning and roots of ten of them, read on! 1-An apple a day keeps the doctor away . You were probably just a child the first time …
by Kevin Burton I know I shouldn’t be doing this. But here’s my excuse up front: The dictionary made me do it! There is more than enough bad blood, ill manners, insincerity and name calling to go around these days. Nevertheless, Merriam-Webster dictionary provides you today with entirely new and creative ways to …
Continue reading “Bolster Your Vocabulary With Creative Insults!”
by Kevin Burton On a tip from a new friend, I knocked on the door of Interlingua language school one day, and asked the good people there to employ me. Shockingly, they took me up on it. This was in the Reagan 80s. I was in somebody else’s country, Mexico, and somebody …
Continue reading “In Praise Of Mexico, Lettuce And Billy Joel”
by Dictionary Scoop Since most board games and card games are composed of rules and repeated actions, it is only natural that certain phrases are repeated throughout the gameplay. The metaphorical potential of some of these phrases has led to them becoming part of our everyday language. Surely you use some of these: 1-Close, …
by Dictionary Scoop Some things in life are so simple and effortless that they deserve their own colorful descriptions. It wasn’t difficult to compile these ten phrases: 1-I can do it in my sleep We all have that one recipe we know by heart—the one we turn to whenever we want to impress …
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