Common Expressions

The word Former  refers to something that is first in the order of two or more items or things. The word Latter refers to something that is either second in a group of two things or the last in a group of many. Some usage guides dictate… continue reading

What does ‘A watched pot never boils’ mean? ‘A watched pot never boils’ is a proverb that refers to feeling like time goes slower when you anxiously wait for something to happen. What is the origin of the phrase? ‘A watched pot never boils’ was… continue reading

The phrase ace in the hole means a resource that is held in reserve until it can be used for an advantage. This idiom refers to a play in stud poker. In this game, a “hole card” refers to a car that is held or… continue reading

What does it mean to say there is an elephant in the room? It indicates that there is an obvious problem that is being ignored. In other words, it is a big issue that is not being acknowledged or talked about. Example: John arrived at… continue reading

What does “I couldn’t care less” mean, and which is correct, couldn’t or could?  If you’ve said that you couldn’t care less about something, it means that you are not concerned about it at all; it does not matter to you.  Example James says he… continue reading

A Chip Off the Old Block Means: A child who closely resembles a parent, in either physical or mental characteristics. The expression refers to anyone who either physically resembles one or both parents, or has personality traits. This turn of phrase is most commonly used… continue reading

How to Use “As of Yet” “As of yet” is often used to describe something that has not happened yet. Although it is grammatically correct, “as of yet” is often deemed unnecessarily wordy. If you strive for clear writing, you can say “as yet,” or,… continue reading

Have you ever come across the acronym AFK and wondered about its meaning? In an age of Teams, Zoom, Slack, and countless other office communication apps, you probably encounter a lot of office acronyms: EOD, BRB, BTW. It’s equally likely that you have stared blankly… continue reading

The definition of ” A Bone to Pick” is a problem or an issue to be discussed. Origin of Bone to Pick Pick has several meanings. One of these is to pull at something repeatedly. This is the sense of the word in this idiom.… continue reading