Might as well is a phrase with a history steeped in a proverbial lesson concerning the avoidance of a particular crime. The legal implications of the phrase have been lost throughout history, and today, it is commonly used to express a lack of enthusiasm when approaching a task or to …
Idioms are words that have a figurative use separate from their literal use. Most idiomatic words and phrases are easily discernible due to their literal origins, but the word jiffy is a bit of an enigma. Jiffy means a quick amount of time, but it has no real origins that …
The admonition to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes means before judging someone, you must understand his experiences, challenges, thought processes, etc. The full idiom is: Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. In effect, it is a reminder to practice empathy. While long credited …
A basket case is a person who is incapable of coping, usually due to emotional problems or deficits. Basket case may also refer to an organization of some sort that has become helpless. Originally, basket case referred to someone who was physically handicapped. The earliest reference to a basket case …
Air quotes are made by extending the pointer and and middle finger on each hand into the air and curling then slightly to imitate the shape of quotation marks. One employs air quotes when stating something ironic or mocking. As the term applies to the set of quotation marks that …
The decidedly lighthearted British phrase, Bob’s your uncle, is commonly seen at the end of sentences that provide simple instructions, but what does it mean? The English use it quite often as an exclamatory term, but it’s gained recognition in the United States through international sports broadcasting. Despite its rise …
To rest on one’s laurels means to be satisfied with one’s past accomplishments and not put forth any further efforts. In ancient Greece, the laurel was a plant that was sacred to the god Apollo. Laurel wreaths were awarded to the winning athletes in the Pythian games, held in honor …
Knock on wood is a superstitious phrase spoken when one has acknowledged some good fortune and wishes the good fortune to continue. The idea is that an admission of good fortune may arouse the jealousy of a mischievous spirit who will destroy the person’s good luck. In pagan times, trees …
A rhetorical question is a question that is asked without the expectation of an answer. A rhetorical question is posed for dramatic effect, to drive home a point. A rhetorical question may be posed to start a discussion, to serve as a call to change, as a challenge, as a …
In the midst means in the middle of, surrounded by, among. Midst means the middle, it is a literary or archaic word which is not often seen unless used in the phrase in the midst. Midst comes into the English language in the mid-fifteenth century, from the Middle English word …