Questions tagged [expressions]
This tag is for questions which a dictionary cannot answer asking the meaning of a particular expression.
1,227
questions
0
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1answer
31 views
“To be on the same page”
As you are fully aware, the using this idiom within the construction below:
I don't think we are on the same page.
means: I don't think we understand each other.
This idiom on the other hand has ...
0
votes
1answer
25 views
How to write about this kind of situation?
I've tried hard for my physical test to be able to pass every items, Unfortunately I had a bad performance and in conquence, very bad results in my physical examinations, now I have to say about ...
0
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1answer
20 views
A query about closing line in mails
I generally use this sentence at the end my email before signature: 'Please let me know in case of any queries.'
Is this phrase correct to use for closing a mail?
0
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1answer
32 views
Is it a right situation to use the phrase?
"We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced"
Can I use the phrase when I am eager to apologize for an inaccuracy in documents?
0
votes
1answer
26 views
What expression fits the best for the intended meaning?
I'm looking for an expression that would mean someone takes control over someone else, like in a bad relationship, when someone takes a dominant posture in spite of the other person. Google would ...
0
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1answer
24 views
(Expression) Bag of bones / Sack of bones / Bones sack
Are all of these expressions correct ? For rhyming purposes I was planning to use the third one, but I'm not sure it is correct because I've never seen that formulation :
1 - Bag of bones
2 - ...
0
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2answers
25 views
Is there some prepostion required between “a wall” and “16 inches on center” in a little bit normal written english
It sound like the tutorial is saying
today I'm
going to show you how to frame a wall 16
inches on center ...
I am awar of what he said, which is a clear expression in everyday speech.
The ...
0
votes
1answer
11 views
From-time-to-time vs. From time to time
I used to use from time to time but I got recently corrected to use from-time-to-time (actually it's from time-to-time but I think both are effectively the same). It seems like from-time-to-time is ...
0
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0answers
24 views
How to express “Please don't hold or keep the milk or water in your mouth, swallow it”?
Sometimes, my little child takes a sip of water or milk & then he keeps or holds the sip in his mouth without swallowing it.
Is it idiomatic to say "Please don't hold or keep the milk or water in ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
“He is in the horizontal position”, “supine”, which expression is more clear and idiomatic?
This post is derived from this one.
Consider the guy pointed out by red circle the following image (img_1),
which expression in the following is more clear and idiomatic?
He is in the horizontal ...
0
votes
1answer
7 views
What does “we’re it” mean in this context?
As their common name implies, house crows (Corvus splendens) stick
pretty closely to people. So much so that there are no known
populations living independently of us. You might say that, in so ...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
“My room looks like as follow” or “My room looks like the following”
I asked a question in another post, where I uploaded an image to demonstrate what my room and said
My room looks like as follow with concrete walls
and I am considering if both expression are ...
0
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0answers
46 views
Meaning of the idiomatic “biscuits and gravy”
In the movie Line of Duty (about 45:30 in), a guy huge gets a weight thrown at him in a gym. Surprisingly not very bothered nor hurt, he says:
"Biscuits and gravy, bitch!"
and then starts to fight ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
“Not want to hurt” synonyms
I want to express that people act in a way that they do 'not want to hurt/harm' a company. However, I wonder if there is another way to express it without a reference to physical suffering. As people ...
0
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1answer
19 views
Are there any grammatical errors in the statement “As are you.”?
If someone compliments you, and you want to respond with the same compliment, Is it grammatically incorrect to say “As are you my friend."
0
votes
1answer
16 views
A sarcastic expression
When something is obvious and the other person didn’t notice a long time and then lately realised, for i.e someone come up and say
I know I’ve broken your heart
In my mother language we go and say “...
1
vote
0answers
31 views
Other ways to say “What's happening?”
Can you suggest similar expressions to "what's happening"?
The first that came up to me are:
What's going on?
What's up?
I am learning English, I am in a small country in Europe. I am ...
0
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0answers
46 views
How to say “short/little time is left”?
What is the proper way to say that very little/short time is left for something?
For example, when there are very few days left before the exams start. I don't want to mention days, but time, in my ...
0
votes
1answer
42 views
What is the difference between 1.differentiate and 2.distinguish
Both words are verb transitive.They are of the same meaning.There are many words in dictionary and thesaurus which words are differentiating in their usage. If we use other words of the dictionary ...
0
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0answers
21 views
Describing the past events with proper tense choice
I want to describe a past incident. Like, a few months ago I faced a bike accident. I tell the story to one of my friends. I describe the story in the past tense. Like,
I wanted to buy groceries. ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
“It was reported that..”, which is closer to this idiom: rumor or a fact?
I'm translating the 'Spectre (security vulnerability)' Wikipedia article to my mother tongue, and it contains a sentence like below;
It was reported that Intel shared news of the Meltdown and ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
“Fancy for fancy's sake”
I read that expression in a book, but that phrase didn't make much sense to me (at least not when trying to translate to Portuguese). I wonder if it's a common expression and what it exactly means. If ...
0
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0answers
36 views
to film a video
I know that "to film" can be used transitively or intransitively. Example of transitive usages:
The cast and crew have been filming this movie for a year.
It took them six weeks to film the ...
0
votes
1answer
67 views
Is there way to use `respected` in passive voice with object pronoun
I want to say that there two persons who came to do something and I highly respect them and I want to call them by name in the same sentence.
I thought it should be like this: "Deeply respected by me, ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
What does “staple of party-favor bags” mean?
following this article, they said:
The game has become a staple of party-favor bags since it was introduced in the 1870s.
You’ve probably played a 15 puzzle. It’s that frustrating yet addictive ...
1
vote
2answers
24 views
Difference between “have done to ”and “have been doing to”
This is a scene from a novel:
A boy is attacked by a bull in a field, the boy defends himself with a knife and both bull and boy are wounded. Someone asks the boy: "what has the bull done to you?" ...
1
vote
1answer
19 views
'the' or 'a' to indicate a specific data type (CS context)
I googled myself a little to see which article is more commonly used with types, and I understood one commonly uses a to indicate a general type such as integer.
But what about a specific type such ...
1
vote
3answers
126 views
(NSFW) Which one is correct “What a hell” or “What the hell” / “What a fu_k” or “What the fu_k”?
We have "what the fu_k!" & "what the hell!" in the dictionary.
But do people say "What a hell!" or "What a fu_k!"?
Are there any differences between "What the hell is that?" and "What a hell is ...
1
vote
2answers
39 views
Scientific vocabulary for 'to remove flaws and make something complete'
There are tons of vocabularies related to this concept, such as strengthen, improve, or enhance, but I've never found one proper vocabulary for a scientific (or at least formal) usage with this ...
0
votes
1answer
45 views
What's the meaning of the word 'there' in this context?
In the song "You are the reason" by Calum Scott
There goes my heart beating
'Cause you are the reason
What does the word "there" mean in this context?
-4
votes
1answer
27 views
What is the meaning of these phrases? [closed]
I want to know the meaning of these phrases or expressions:
Down to the wood.
Feel a fuzz
Feel rough.
I have also provided a picture of the source.
0
votes
0answers
24 views
Expressions to refer to some point in the future
Which of the following expressions is idiomatic and\or grammatical?
I think I will be busy until I become 45 or something. By that
time, my children will be mature enough to depend more on ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
Educators' slang: “taking people from where they are”
Imagine somebody organising an educational event (e.g. a conference) and trying to set up the programme in a way that everybody attending is being "taken from where they are", meaning: the programme ...
0
votes
2answers
22 views
Everybody's gotta learn sometime
https://youtu.be/Xe5LQHCWZRM
"Everybody's gotta learn somtime"
(As I know, " 's " is a contraction of 'has' in this case)
I am confused about what 'has got to' means in this lyrics.
Which of the ...
0
votes
2answers
39 views
Alternative expressions for “there's a possibility of something”
I usually say "there is a possibility of ..." to describe something that can still happen anytime later, but I don't think this is the only way to describe it.
The problem is that, while searching ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
Looking for expressions like “First sight memory.”
I'm looking for an expression to describe something like "first sight memory."
For example, if I remember the word interesting as intresting because I got it wrong the first time I saw it.
And then, ...
0
votes
1answer
55 views
What does it mean “might as well have ”?
I read the thread about "might as well have" on a website. But I still don't understand the last sentence in the following text. Would you please tell me what the last sentence means? Thanks!
Rachel: ...
0
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0answers
24 views
If so or If you do, which one is more correct and natural?
I'm modifying my writing.
I have a question about the expression.
Do you enjoy playing computer games or any phone games?
After this sentence, I wrote
If you do, you need to pay attention to ...
-2
votes
1answer
140 views
I want to know this expression “get any worse” meaning
How could this day get any worse!
I want to know the meaning of this expression "get any worse".
TIA!
0
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0answers
36 views
OK or very strange? [duplicate]
"He's on the fifth drink or something since we got here. It looks pretty intense. Maybe we should go talk to him."
Is the line in bold OK or very strange?
0
votes
2answers
60 views
Is this a correct expression in English?
Once, my friend and I wanted to go to some place, so we took a tram (train)
to reach this place but we missed our destination twice, forward and
backward, because we were busy talking to each ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
The expression “have been here.”
I've been here for more than sixty years.
I want to make sure if the expression "have been here for...." imply that he didn't live here originally, and he moved here 60 years ago.
I mean if a person ...
1
vote
1answer
35 views
Pulls to a stop
If someone "pulls to a stop" when driving, does it indicate that that someone stops the car abruptly/suddenly and forcefully?
0
votes
0answers
20 views
What is the proper expression for a case when someone lacked intelligence and as a result had to make up for it using their feet?
What is the proper expression for a case when someone lacked intelligence and as a result had to make up for it using their feet (or some other means of locomotion)?
Examples:
Someone forgets a car ...
0
votes
1answer
39 views
What is the significance of 1st of October?
In the song Paper Planes, there's a passage as quoted below.
My name is Olushola, I just got off my visa
I live everyday like it's the first of October
I wonder what the significance of the 1st ...
0
votes
2answers
70 views
Staring blankly at [closed]
I have a few question that I hope you can help me with.
Monica is sitting on the couch staring blankly at the TV. She snaps out of it, grabs the remote, and turns off the TV.
Can I use "staring ...
0
votes
1answer
45 views
what is a better phrase than “is there a problem with that”
Is there a better way of saying
"is there a problem with that?"
I feel that this phrase is a bit disturbing to some people, is there a better way of asking this question in a nicer friendlier way?
...
1
vote
1answer
26 views
Is 'for an interval' okay?
Suppose there is a certain condition with the time interval, only during which it holds. For example,
Condition: High humidity / Interval: June to September
What I want now is describing that '...
0
votes
1answer
53 views
How natural for Native English Speakers these phrases and how to recognize it in advance?
I'm using Mark Skipper Advanced book and there are some phrases which in my opinion are strange. Do you use the following phrases in your speech (books, films, etc.) today? Are they common/relevant?
...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
“(a) little less” in a sentence
John is eating a little less than usual.
John is eating little less salt than usual.
Are the expressions a little less and little less grammatical? Also, are there more cases in which different ...
