Old-school news, just in time
by Kevin Burton Are these phrases magnetic? Do they constitute heavy verbal metal? You be the judge. But Merriam-Webster dictionary has identified seven common idioms that include one metal or another. Do you see yourself in any of these metallic descriptions? 1-Lead foot Despite its reputation, lead is not the heaviest of …
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by Merriam-Webster Dictionary Caboodle: all of a group of things So, you’ve gone and got yourself a kit. Very nice, very nice. Looks like a sewing kit, or maybe a first aid kit. Okay, now we see it’s a model airplane kit. Congratulations. But do you have the caboodle that, we presume from the phrase …
by Kevin Burton Some of the words we use to discuss finances didn’t start as money words, as we learned Wednesday, from a list from Merriam-Webster dictionary. We continue the theme today with a colorful phrase from the world of poker: Blue-chip Blue-chip, meaning “a stock issue of high investment quality that …
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by Dictionary Scoop We always talk about the weather, but, as it happens, we also use weather-related terms to talk about other things as well. These sayings are part of our everyday lexicon, often without us even realizing their connection to sun, rain, wind, or snow. Which of these 12 do you use …
by Kevin Burton The NCAA Final Four is Saturday. Those of us with no favorite teams playing, merely hope for close games. In honor of March Madness, Merriam-Webster has looked into the origin of the idiom “barn-burner.” I have mostly heard this refer to football, but it could apply to basketball as well. …
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by Dictionary Scoop Many common phrases we use today are direct quotes from the Bible. They have slipped seamlessly into everyday conversation, often with little thought to their origins. Which of these sayings do you use? 1-Drop in the Bucket The phrase “a drop in the bucket” refers to something very small or insignificant compared …
by Dictionary Scoop We toss around old sayings without giving them a second thought. However, many of them once meant something entirely different than what we are trying to say. Over time, words drift, idioms evolve, and what started as a literal warning becomes a cultural cliche. Let’s rewind the dictionary and see how these …
Continue reading “These Sayings Don’t Mean What They Used To”
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 …
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