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When someone asks for your John Hancock, it means they want your signature. John Hancock was the first man to sign the United States’ Declaration of Independence in 1776. Knowing that signing this declaration could mean his imprisonment or even death, John Hancock boldly wrote his name in large letters, …
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Breadcrumbs, breadcrumb trail and trail of breadcrumbs are interchangeable terms which mean connected bits of information or evidence. In website parlance, breadcrumbs or breadcrumb trail refer to a hierarchical construction of links which display at the top of a webpage showing where the current page belongs in the website. Breadcrumbs …
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Fly in the face of is a phrase that means to openly flaunt or oppose, to violate normal rules or go against conventional wisdom. Derived phrases are flying in the face of, flies in the face of, flew in the face of and flying in the face of. The term …
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A fringe benefit is supplemental to the main benefit, usually referring to benefits attached to employment. Generally, fringe benefits include such things as insurance, vacation time and pension. Fringe benefits may be extended to include such things as a company car, lunch vouchers or subsidized housing. The term fringe benefit …
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Cheek to cheek is a phrase that refers to two people with their heads positioned closely together, cheek to cheek nearly always describes two people who are dancing with their bodies held closely together in an intimate fashion. If the phrase cheek to cheek is used after the word it …
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Cannon fodder refers to soldiers or other enlisted personnel who are considered expendable. Usually, the men or women who are considered to be cannon fodder are the least-trained and of the lowest socioeconomic group. Cannons are tubes from which projectiles are fired, usually cannon balls. Fodder is an Old English term …
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“No love lost” is just one of many examples of the collection of idioms found in the English language. If you’ve never heard of this phrase, I’ve got all the details right here! I’ll even share some sentence examples showing how you can properly work the phrase into your conversations …
With all due respect is an adverb phrase used to signal that you are about disagree with someone or criticize them. Usually, with all due respect is intended to soften the effect of disagreeing or criticizing someone. It is a polite idiom that is intended to show esteem for the …
Grasping at straws means to be so desperate as to try even the most unlikely means to save oneself. It comes from the proverb: “A drowning man will catch at a straw…” noted in the novel “Clarissa”, published in 1748 or the proverb: “We do not as men redie to …