Anymore is an adverb that means a general amount of time, usually the present or near past. Usually it is used to say if an action or event still happens or exists. This construction is the preferred in the US, while outside the country the standard is to keep the two words separate, any more. It is interesting to note that when we did find instances of the one word form outside the US, it was almost always in the form of …
Dumpster is the name, for North America (including both United States and Canada), for a large metal container for trash. Outside the United States the receptacle is called either a skip or a front load container. This term was created by a business for their specialized containers that let a truck empty them without any manual labor required. The name was formed from the word dump, the place were all trash is taken. For years the word was so popular that all …
To black out something is to delete or obscure it. The verb can also be used to put something in complete darkness, either by blocking the light or disabling electricity. A person can black out if he or she loses consciousness or vision for a period of time. The verb also means to institute a blackout on something. A blackout can be a precaution against an enemy, where the lights are kept off to keep a people’s presence hidden. It can also be the period of time where …
A pooh-bah is a person who has a lot of power in government, usually by holding several positions or offices at the same time. Sometimes the pooh-bah knows that he or she has this power and is pompous or overemphasizes his or her worth. The plural is pooh-bahs. The term is sometimes capitalized because it started out as a proper noun. Pooh-Bah comes from a fictional work written in 1885, where the Grand Pooh-Bah acts much like the definition listed above. In our research, we found that …
Access, as a noun, has been established since the fourteenth century. It means the ability or permission to enter or go through an area or communicate with a person. One would gain access or have access to something. As a verb, however, access has only been around since the 1960s. It has almost the same meaning as the noun form, to gain access to something or someone. It does also mean specifically to load or open something digitally. We presume its origin and rise in popularity …
Never mind, as two words, is a conjunction. It is usually used between two options, ideas, or situations, with the latter being the less probable. It is synonymous with much less or let alone. Another definition for never mind is when the words are used almost as an interjection to tell the listener not to worry. Most commonly it is used when the audience is trying to figure out a concept or idea, or even simply what the speaker said. It is almost synonymous with forget about …
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 are harmonious or do not contradict each other. Although both words indicate two or more parties getting along, agreeance is an older version that can mistakenly used to create personification, …
If you’ve never heard of Christmas Adam, you aren’t alone. After all, what is it? Is it a day, a thing, a person – perhaps Santa’s favorite sidekick, Adam? Or a new action figure who saves Christmas Day? To help clear up the confusion you may be feeling and give you some context to this relatively new and modern term, we’ve written a guide that explains the term’s likely origins and what it means. Let’s dig deeper into this optic, …
All aboard the grammar ship! I’ll navigate you through the meaning of the term even-keeled. This phrase is no stranger to the sailing world, but we also use it on dry land to describe everything from moods to business climates. So, sit tight as I chart the course of even-keeled through the waters of etymology and usage. Is It Even Keeled or Even-Keeled? Suppose you’re getting caught up in whether to split or hyphenate this term. In that case, you’ll …
High jinks is a plural noun referring to loud chaotic play, specifically characterized by its high energy and wildness. It can also be spelled hijinks. Some say that high jinks is used within the United States, while hijinks is found outside. However, we found that there is a good mix of either spelled used in all locations. And while the dictionaries list hijinks as the variant spelling, it is growing in popularity as the preferred spelling. The term seems to come from the verb jink which means to dodge …