The phrase à la carte is a loan word from the French. Loanwords and loan phrases are terms that have been taken from other languages and used as English words and phrases. Another term for a loanword is a borrowed word. Loanwords and loan phrases come into the English language when English speakers come into contact with other languages and cultures. When loanwords and loan phrases first enter the English language, they are used by bilingual speakers and usually maintain the original … [Read more...]
Get one’s hands dirty
Get one's hands dirty is an idiom with an uncertain origin. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. Often using descriptive imagery, common idioms are words and phrases used in the English language in order to convey a concise idea, and are often spoken or are considered informal or conversational. English idioms can illustrate emotion more quickly than a phrase that has a literal meaning, even when … [Read more...]
Feet of clay
The phrase feet of clay is an idiom that dates to the mid-1700s. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. Often using descriptive imagery, common idioms are words and phrases used in the English language in order to convey a concise idea, and are often spoken or are considered informal or conversational. English idioms can illustrate emotion more quickly than a phrase that has a literal meaning, even … [Read more...]
Dredge up and dig up
Dredge up and dig up are idioms. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. Often using descriptive imagery, common idioms are words and phrases used in the English language in order to convey a concise idea, and are often spoken or are considered informal or conversational. English idioms can illustrate emotion more quickly than a phrase that has a literal meaning, even when the etymology or origin of … [Read more...]
Jump ship
The term jump ship is an idiom that began with a literal meaning. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. Often using descriptive imagery, common idioms are words and phrases used in the English language in order to convey a concise idea, and are often spoken or are considered informal or conversational. English idioms can illustrate emotion more quickly than a phrase that has a literal meaning, even when … [Read more...]
Subject-verb agreement
Subject-verb agreement is an important part of English grammar. The concept of subject-verb agreement is simple, but complex sentences can cause confusion. We will examine the definition of subject-verb agreement, some rules that will help you construct sentences in English correctly and some examples. Subject-verb agreement means that the subject and the verb, known as the predicate verb, in a sentence must agree in number. If the subject is plural, the predicate verb must also be plural. It … [Read more...]
Take a knee
The idiom take a knee has been in use since at least the 1960s, but the meaning of the phrase has changed drastically over the years. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. Often using descriptive imagery, common idioms are words and phrases used in the English language in order to convey a concise idea, and are often spoken or are considered informal or conversational. English idioms can illustrate … [Read more...]
Hyperbole
A hyperbole is a figure of speech. Figures of speech are rhetorical constructions that are to be taken non-literally. This rhetorical device is used to make a point in an emotional fashion or to make a point in a more vivid fashion in figurative language. Hyperbole is pronounced high-PER-bo-lee, and is one of many literary devices such as an idiom, a paradox, an oxymoron, and similes and metaphors. We will examine what a hyperbole is with some examples, and where the word hyperbole came … [Read more...]
Links vs lynx
Links and lynx are two commonly confused words that are pronounced in the same way when spoken aloud but are spelled differently and have different meanings, which makes them homophones. Homophones exist because of our ever-changing English language, and are a challenge for those who wish to learn to speak English. The way the spelling and definitions differ can be confusing when attempting to learn vocabulary correctly. Proper pronunciation of spoken English may help the listener … [Read more...]
Sawing logs and sawing wood
Sawing logs and sawing wood are two expressions of the same idiom. Bring the house down and bring down the house are two versions of an idiom. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. Often using descriptive imagery, common idioms are words and phrases used in the English language in order to convey a concise idea, and are often spoken or are considered informal or conversational. English idioms can … [Read more...]