Nuclear family and extended family are terms that came into use in the mid-twentieth century and have different definitions. We will examine the meanings of the phrases nuclear family and extended family, where these expressions came from, and some examples of their use in sentences. A nuclear family is a social unit that consists of parents and children. The nuclear family is also known as the immediate family, the elementary family, and the conjugal family. The nuclear family as a … [Read more...]
Court disaster
To court disaster is an interesting expression that many find confusing, and it may not be as old as you think. Many English expressions have a different definition than one might assume at first glance. We will examine the meaning of the verbal phrase court disaster, where it came from, and some examples of its use in sentences. To court disaster means to take unnecessary risks, to follow a course of action that may bring ruin, to walk a proverbial tightrope. The most common meaning of the … [Read more...]
The customer is always right
The customer is always right is an aphorism, that is a short, common saying that can serve as a shorthand for conveying an idea. The customer is always right can not be considered a proverb, as it is not a universally acknowledged truth. Speakers of English as a second language are sometimes confused by these expressions as translations from English to other languages do not carry the impact that the English phrases carry. We will examine the meaning of the phrase the customer is always right, … [Read more...]
The lesser of two evils
The term the lesser of two evils has been in use since the 1400s and may be traced to a specific writer, though the concept is probably much older. We will examine the meaning of the phrase the lesser of two evils, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences. The expression the lesser of two evils is used when one is confronted with two choices or alternatives, both of them bad. The lesser of two evils means to choose the alternative that is less bad. The term the lesser of … [Read more...]
Shake one’s head vs nod one’s head
The terms shake one's head and nod one's head have been in use for hundreds of years, and the exact etymology is unknown. These expressions mean two different things, though their definitions are becoming blurred. We will examine the definitions of the phrases shake one's head and nod one's head, their probably origin and some examples of their use in sentences. To shake one's head means to move it from side to side with a subtle twist of the neck. This is a gesture in most of the … [Read more...]
Deck the halls
Deck the halls is a phrase that one may hear during the holiday season. We will examine the definition of the term deck the halls, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences. To deck the halls means to decorate for Christmas, especially if one will be entertaining guests. These decorations. may include centerpieces, swags or a garland made of branches or boughs of fir, pine, cedar, balsam or greenery from other types of evergreen limbs. Garlands or wreaths may include … [Read more...]
Rise like a phoenix from the ashes
The phrase rise like a phoenix from the ashes is based on a story that goes back thousands of years. The expression is a simile, which is a phrase used in a sentence that is a comparison of one thing with something else using the word like or the word as. A simile may compare two things with qualities that do not seem related, though there must be some similarity that is either literal or figurative. Writers use similes in prose and in poetry as literary devices used to paint vivid imagery. We … [Read more...]
Split the difference
Split the difference is a phrase that may have been around for longer than you think. We will examine the meaning of the phrase split the difference, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences. To split the difference, in its literal sense, means to agree on a price that is midway between the amount being asked for an item, and the amount being offered for that item. To split the difference is a common way to resolve a negotiation effectively, to end a period of bargaining … [Read more...]
Supply and demand
The phrase supply and demand was first used in the mid-eighteenth century, though the concept goes back thousands of years. We will examine the definition of the expression supply and demand, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences. Supply and demand is a description of the relationship between the availability of goods and the desire for those goods in a society. Often referred to as the law of supply and demand, it is an economic theory that explains where the law of … [Read more...]