Whitewash is a closed compound word that has a literal meaning and a figurative or idiomatic meaning. Compounds or compound words are words that are derived from two separate words joined together, a closed compound word does not contain a space or hyphen. We will examine the meaning of the …
When your body perceives a chill or reacts to an outside stimulus of sorts, the skin puckers around your hair follicles, creating goosebumps (or gooseflesh or goose pimples). But what is this body reaction, exactly? And what does it have such a funny name? Goosebumps go by a few different …
You’ve probably been guilty of navel-gazing at least once in your life and didn’t even know it! Have you ever heard of the term? It sounds silly, but it has a deeper meaning, and it’s essential to understand it if you want to use the expression. I’ll go over the …
The word gatecrasher is an American idiom, first used as a slang term. Gatecrasher is also a closed compound word, which is a word that is made up of two words joined together without hyphens or spaces. This type of compound is also called a solid compound word. We will …
The term hush money is probably older than you thought, over three hundred years old. Whether hush money is legal or illegal depends on the circumstances and the intent of paying the hush money. We will examine the definition of the expression hush money, where it came from and some …
Hogwash is a compound word that is often considered an idiom. It does not refer to the act of washing a hog or a shampoo for hogs, much to my kid’s dismay. Keep reading to learn the complete meaning and origin of hogwash as I break it all down for …
Catcall is a popular closed compound word that has been around since the 1600s. My article explores the definition and origin of the verb catcall with sentence examples. What Does Catcalling Mean? Catcalling is, unfortunately, a popular word because of how rampant it is. The verb comes from the word …
Far-fetched is a compound word of far and fetched whose meaning should not be taken literally. This adjective is an idiom that means unlikely to be true. Read on to learn the full definition of far-fetched and examples of how to use it in a sentence. I explain everything you …
Double-check is one of the many hyphenated compound words we use in the English language. I literally use it every day as I double-check my work before submitting it, double-check my kid’s lunches before they leave the house, and double-check my to-do list each morning. This intransitive verb clearly means …