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 ReadingHomophone meaning
Homophone is a word that sounds alike another word but has a completely different meaning. Homophones can be problematic not just for foreign speakers of English, but for native speakers as well. Since these pairs of words are usually pronounced the same (to some varying extent), it can be difficult sometimes to remember the correct spelling. Here’s an example […]
Continue Reading“Dove” or “Dived”
The verb “dive” has both an irregular and regular form. You can use both and both are correct. Speakers in North America use dove while the British seem to prefer dived. Dove or Dived? “Dived” is the traditional past tense and past participle of “to dive,” but “dove” has crept in over the last two centuries — particularly […]
Continue Reading“betcha” meaning
It is a short form of “bet you“: meaning that you are very sure about something. It represents the sound of the phrase bet you when it is spoken quickly or it is used especially in the phrase you betcha as an enthusiastic way of saying “yes” Examples: I betcha some of them even considered leaving the team. A: “Hey Frank, do you want to come with us to the movies?” B: “You betcha I do!” The difference between you betcha and I betcha? I betcha is colloquial for I bet […]
Continue Reading“gotta” meaning
It is a short form of have got to. Gotta is a way of writing got to that shows how these words are pronounced in the expression have got to in casual speech: have gotta. Have gotta is an informal way of saying that something is necessary or must be true. In very informal language, gotta is sometimes written and spoken without have. Examples: I gotta go now. […]
Continue Reading“gonna” meaning
It is an informal for going to. A way of writing ‘going to’ that shows how it sounds in informal conversation. Examples: What are you gonna do? It’s not gonna be easy. I think I’m gonna need some help. More: https://en.learniv.com/info/en/slang/gonna-meaning/
Continue Reading“under” vs “below”
The prepositions under and below are interchangeable. Under is used much more widely. When you’re not sure which word to use, use under. It is more likely to be correct. Both below and under can mean ‘lower than’. Below All the common uses of below are related to the idea of “lower or less than,” as in these examples: The game is suitable for children below the age […]
Continue ReadingSynonyms
A synonym is a word that shares the same or very similar meaning with another word. These words are not spelled the same or pronounced the same way, they just have a similar meaning and can be interchangeable without significantly changing the meaning or tone of conversation. A dictionary of synonyms is called Thesaurus, and […]
Continue Reading“as useful as a chocolate teapot”
It is idiom and means that it is totally useless. Also used “as useful as a chocolate fireguard” Examples: A car in a heavy traffic jam is as useful as a chocolate teapot. That umbrella is stuck inside out, so it’s about as useful as a chocolate teapot right now. If the referee gives the opponents a penalty, he yells, ‘When they circumcised you they threw away the wrong part.’ If […]
Continue Reading“sell out” and “sell off” meaning
If a supply of something sells out, there is no more of that thing to buy. If a shop sells out of something, it sells all its stocks of it, so that there is no longer any left for people to buy. In the US it is used as “sellout“. Very simmilar si: sell off: The company is selling off the less profitable parts of its business. “sell […]
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