To shop till you drop is an American idiom which means to buying things until you are physically tired and cannot walk around the shops anymore. Sometimes it is spelled shop ’til you drop. In this usage of till as a conjunction meaning ‘until’, and of the spellings are acceptable (e.g. till, til, or ’til). The phrase is found …
If people are to talk turkey, they are going to have an honest and open dialogue, usually with the motive to move forward through a problem. It is an American phrase that goes back to the early 1800s. Originally it meant to talk agreeably or pleasantly, which is almost an complete reversal to …
Thanksgiving Day is the official name for a holiday observed in the United States and Canada. It is a day to show gratitude, either for material possessions or immaterial goodness, such as family or health. It is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. In Canada, which …
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To take the mickey out of someone is an idiom used largely outside of the United States. It means to tease or make fun of someone. It is usually meant in a lighthearted or fun manner, not to ridicule or bash. The phrase has many variations, including take the mike out of someone, …
Both lots and a lot of are nouns for amounts of things or quantifiers. They are used when the amount of something is known to be large, but an exact counting isn’t necessary. Both are used in more informal speech and writing. More formal word choice would include many or much. Side note: A lot of is sometimes spelled alot, which is …
For someone or something to be described as social it can be an activity in which individuals talk with other people or do activities as a team or in a group. A social person likes to be around others or enjoys having conversations with others. Social can also describe things that have to do with society …
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Idioms are excellent ways to add figurative language to your speech and writing through various analogies and innuendos. Many popular idioms today have older origins that may seem unrelated to their modern counterparts. Said the actress to the bishop is the perfect example of this, providing the history of the …
To be at a loose end is to have nothing to do. It is primarily used in British English. In the United States, there is a variant phrase to be at loose ends. This also means to have nothing to do, but it carries the connotation of nervousness, as in the situation not …
A razzmatazz is a ploy to attract attention, it is usually loud or exuberant. It is thought to come from razzle-dazzle, and carries the connotation that the action is done to deceive or distract someone. It has no plural. Razzamatazz is a variant spelling of razzmatazz, and it is extremely less common. Some list it …
The phrase water under the bridge means to let the past go and do not hold a grudge or harbor bad feelings. There is reference here to the one directional flow of water and when it passes under a bridge, it does not pass back ever again. It is usually used in …