“All mouth and no trousers” is another phrase used mainly and heard primarily on the British Islands, meaning empty boasting. We use this phrase to describe someone who is boastful, arrogant, full of shallow talk, or someone who is just showing off. It’s commonly used when someone says they’re going to do something (usually something […]
Continue ReadingIDIOMS: A piece of cake
This phrase is most commonly used to point out that something is really easy or easy to accomplish. It’s a piece of cake! The origin of this idiom dates back to 1800s when cakes were given out as prizes for winning competitions. Unlike most bizarre idioms, this one probably originates in the United States. Slaves […]
Continue ReadingIDIOMS: A different kettle of fish
A tea kettle filled with fish? No, no, no. Let me explain. The word kettle in this particular case doesn’t refer to the teapot you were probably imagining, but to the large, oval-shaped kettle still used mainly in Scotland and the north of England for cooking whole fish. Hope that cleared everything up! On a […]
Continue ReadingAntonyms
Antonyms are words with the opposite meaning, unlike synonyms which are words that share the same meaning. There are many more words with synonyms than there are words with antonyms. In the English language many words just don’t have an opposite, such as hamburger or tree or dog (and no, the opposite word is not […]
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