Expressions and Phrases

Ramping up and amping up sound very similar. How much difference does the letter “r” make in these phrases? Similarities Both ramping up and amping up refer to something increasing. They also look and sound very nearly the same. Ramping up If you imagine a… continue reading

Have you ever heard the phrase “heebie-jeebies”? This silly-sounding phrase means “a feeling of anxiety, illness, or apprehension.” Neither “heebie” or “jeebie” mean anything by themselves. During the 1920s in the United States of America, many similar phrases became popular. For example, “hocus-pocus,” “the bee’s… continue reading

Literal Meaning:  The phrase, “What goes up must come down,” is a term that usually means something that is up in the air will always and eventually fall back down due to gravity.  Conversely, it can be a colloquialism that means good things will not… continue reading

Have you ever heard someone say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? It means that there are different opinions on what is beautiful. One person may like how something looks, but another person thinks it’s ugly. So, beauty is subjective. For example:  Jacob… continue reading

Vis-à-vis is a French phrase meaning “face-to-face.” In English, vis-à-vis can be used as an adverb, adjective, or noun meaning “face-to-face.” However, this phrase can also be used as a preposition to compare things. In that usage, it becomes a synonym for “facing” or “opposite.” The phrase is… continue reading

This phrase is used when you fall for the same trick twice. It’s a way of expressing that you should have recognized it the second time that it occurred.  Example:  A person approaches you at the gas station and asks for a few dollars to… continue reading

Have you ever heard the phrase “one fowl swoop” or “one foul swoop”? This common expression is usually used to explain an event taking place very suddenly and all at once. But why did this become a saying? Does it have something to do with… continue reading

The meaning of the phrase “playing for keeps” is that someone is serious about what they’re doing. People will often use this phrase if they’ve been playing around previously but are now ready to get serious. For example: Jacob lost the game because he wasn’t… continue reading

What does it mean? Taking a slower, more consistent approach to a problem often leads to a better outcome. For example: I tried to change everything about my diet in one day but only ended up feeling sick and cranky. If I want to make a… continue reading

Have you ever gotten upset over something small, and someone said you shouldn’t be “crying over spilled milk”? This saying has an interesting history and meaning. “Don’t cry over spilled milk” means there’s no point in being upset over something that already happened and cannot… continue reading