The idiom to sell like hotcakes comes from the United States where the term hotcake was coined in the nineteenth century. It is simply a synonym for a pancake. For something to sell like a hotcake it must be bought in mass quantities with little effort on the part of the seller, usually so much …
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To have another string in your bow can mean either that you have a backup plan in case the current plan fails. This is analogous to an archer carrying an extra bowstring in the event that the first breaks. Alternatively, the phrase may mean to have two strings in one bow that …
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Behold is a verb that means to look at something, to observe or see it. The past tense is beheld. Someone can be a beholder. It is often used in command form, telling someone else to Behold! Beholden is an adjective that means to owe someone something, to be obligated or in debt. There …
To pass something is to move beyond it or go by it. A person can pass away if he or she dies. When something happens in passing, it happens without intent, or offhandedly. Passing as an adjective can describe something has moving past something else (e.g., a passing car) or describe something as happening for a …
Agreeance is a term that denotes the act of coming to a mutual understanding or agreement. It is an obscure form of agreement that is now rarely used. An agreement is an understanding, a compromise to get two sides to find common ground. For things to be in agreement, they …
Terra firma is borrowed from New Latin and literally means solid land. It is used to describe a mass as dry ground, rather than ocean or sky. It is most often used as a synonym for solid ground. There is no plural for terra firma as it is used as a mass noun. …
To have or get itchy feet is to have wanderlust, the urge to travel or explore. Someone may also have itchy feet if they simply want to do something different, change the routine, or try something new. In short, it encompasses a general state of restlessness. It is used more often outside the United …
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To reconnoiter is to gain information about something in a secretive manner, or in other words to do reconnaissance. It is a military term and used when spying on an enemy, usually to aid in planning an attack. It comes from an obsolete French word which mean to recognize. And because it is …
For something to be described as passable it must be clear of obstructions or able to be navigated. Another definition is for the object or person to be adequate or barely satisfactory. The adverb form makes the word passably, and the noun form is passability. Its opposite is impassable or not able to be passed. …
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A reindeer is a species of deer which live in the northern part of the earth. Caribou is a synonym for reindeer and is especially used for those which live on the North American continent. Reindeer can be found on nearly every northern continent and much further south than the North Pole. In 1823 reindeer were paired with St. …