Expressions and Phrases

The expression free rein stemmed from horseback riding. The rider holds the reins, leather straps connected to a metal bit in the horse’s mouth, and handles the horse by pulling on the straps differently. When you give a horse free rein, you’ll hold the reins loosely so the animal… continue reading

The expression “to a T” – as in “That fits you to a T!” – is often incorrectly written or spoken as “to the T” (or “to a tee” or “to the tee”). This same kind of mistake often occurs in everyday phrases such as “all… continue reading

You may have seen a sleeping person’s snoring indicated by “Zzz “in popular media. From cartoons to comic books, this colloquial phenomenon has a grasp on American culture. With this, what does “Zzz” actually mean?  What Does “Zzz” Actually Mean?  As you have probably guessed, “Zzz” is a common… continue reading

What Does “The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree” Mean? The common phrase, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” is a colloquial saying that describes when a child has talents or characteristics similar to their parents.  It is important to know that this phrase… continue reading

Meaning Of “A Chip On Your Shoulder” To have “a chip on your shoulder” is another way to say that you feel anger due to a long-term grudge. In other words, someone has treated you wrong, and you are still upset about it.  In addition… continue reading

Meaning Of “Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen“ The phrase “Too many cooks in the kitchen” means many people are working on one thing together. Usually, this results in feelings getting hurt, things not going to plan, and a negative effect on the result. In conversational English,… continue reading

Meaning Of “Driving Me Nuts”  As you probably know, the common phrase “driving me nuts” is something that people say to express frustration or annoyance. Many people also use “nuts” to replace words like crazy or insane.  Either way, these two phrases go hand-in-hand and always mean… continue reading

Meaning  The common saying “Everything but the kitchen sink” is used to describe someone that includes lots of facets. In other words, when something has all the bells and whistles or includes about everything imaginable, it can be described as having everything but the kitchen sink.  Examples … continue reading

“Actions speak louder than words” is a common turn of phrase that explains how an individual’s actions are more important/impactful than what they say. It is more powerful to do something than to just talk about doing it.  Examples Of “Actions Speak Louder Than Words”… continue reading

What Does The Phrase Jump The Shark Mean?  In essence, jump the shark is a playful idiom when a TV series has lowered quality/artistic value. For instance, a TV show is thought to have jumped the shark when there is a poor change in writing… continue reading