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1 vote
5 answers
105 views

Is there a better word for 'anonymity' here? [closed]

This is the sentence: The Festival was the reason he had chosen this place to enter the country, the safety and 'anonymity' it provided would make his further travels much smoother. Some context: ...
EMS's user avatar
  • 339
2 votes
1 answer
73 views

A word or phrase that means "picky about something they can't have"

I'm searching for a word, phrase, or even an idiom to describe someone who is very picky about things out of their reach. For example, they may love Lamborghinis but think Ferraris are too overstyled ...
Forklift's user avatar
  • 173
0 votes
2 answers
115 views

Person who says they want to help, but doesn't want to do it when asked [duplicate]

I'm looking for a word that means a person who says that they're here to help, but when the help is asked for they don't really want to do it
Che Robinson's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
129 views

What do you call a moderate victory?

In the following bible passage, Prophet Elisha prophesies that King Joash should take his bow and arrows, and subsequently orders Joash to use his arrows to strike the ground to signify a symbolic act....
crazyTech's user avatar
  • 265
2 votes
6 answers
292 views

What do you call it when someone's really pushing it?

In Iraqi Arabic, when someone is bothering you or hassling you continuously and you reach that level where you can't handle it (like when they begin insulting you), you literally say to them (in ...
E.Groeg's user avatar
  • 1,614
12 votes
7 answers
4k views

People who frequently travel in planes are called…?

What do you call people who travel in a plane? I know "passenger" is appropriate but that is also true for travelling in taxis, trains, ships, and buses. Also, a passenger suggests someone ...
Mari-Lou A's user avatar
  • 91.9k
0 votes
2 answers
110 views

How do you describe someone who pretends to know the answer to their question after it's been answered?

I have a coworker who constantly asks questions, obvious ones and sometimes not so obvious, and always pretends to have known the answer but it accidentally slipped their mind. example Coworker: How ...
user496959's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
242 views

More common terms for "tall poppy syndrome"

I came across this New York Times article: Ms. Hathaway could simply be a victim of what the British call “tall poppy syndrome” — the bloom that pokes above the others is the first to get cut. I ...
Qiulang 邱朗's user avatar
-2 votes
4 answers
294 views

Is there a word or expression that describes a situation where a person repetitively "comes and goes"?

In Levantine Arabic, the expression "siri miri" (سِرِّي مِرِّي) is used for someone who continually and incessantly comes and goes, or passes by, such as like near your house or just about ...
E.Groeg's user avatar
  • 1,614
10 votes
15 answers
3k views

Idiomatic word/expression for someone ‘who has no feeling for the game’ - Translation of Spanish ‘pechofrío’

I'm having trouble translating the expression pechofrío (pecho frío, ‘cold chest’) from Spanish—specially Argentinian Spanish, I don't know if it's used in other countries. It means: s. masc. Persona ...
tac's user avatar
  • 474
14 votes
15 answers
3k views

What is a term (or idiom) for someone who enters and exits without a request or order?

In Mesopotamian Arabic, the the idiom "khirri mirri" (خِرِّي مِرِّي) is used for those who haphazardly enter and exit a building like they own the place - Basically "in and out" in ...
E.Groeg's user avatar
  • 1,614
3 votes
12 answers
1k views

Indispensable, Essential, "Tool of the trade", "Staple item"

I am looking for a term to use as the name of a software project that I am working on. The project is a software tool, and this tool aims to be useful in virtually all software, so I am looking for a ...
Mike Nakis's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
1k views

Synonymous phrase/idiom for "kangaroo court" that communicates a predetermined verdict

I am looking to replace the idiom "kangaroo court" in the following sentence: Class followed its usual script. The professor took center stage, exposing the deep racism, sexism, colonialism ...
Nick's user avatar
  • 151
-1 votes
2 answers
123 views

Word(s) meaning how "high/low resolution", "nested", "shallow/deep" or "derived" ideas/concepts are

I'm looking for a word or pair of words that refer to whether an idea is "high or low resolution" or high and low levels of analysis. I think a few examples are the best way to convey what I'...
sat0ri's user avatar
  • 510
0 votes
2 answers
112 views

Word/term/saying that encapsulates the notion of something being ethically convenient

Lately I've encountered a few situations in discussions where I feel like there may be a word that is either more succinct and/or perhaps more wry than just 'ethically convenient'. An example sentence ...
Lamar Latrell's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
358 views

Is there a word/phrase to call someone who hoards knowledge or information?

Knowledge hoarder and information hoarder refers to a person who keeps knowledge/information only for themselves,I am looking for a term that can be used to a person who gathers knowledge/information,...
Timm's user avatar
  • 1
1 vote
4 answers
153 views

An idiom or term that pertains to defending and praising popular people just because they are successful and respected?

In Australia, we use the expression Tall poppy syndrome for a "social phenomenon that occurs when someone's success causes them to be envied, resented, criticized or discredited." https://en....
E.Groeg's user avatar
  • 1,614
6 votes
6 answers
452 views

A word/phrase for something that often comes up in conversations

To find a affordable apartment was a big problem. University students would often struggle to find a place to live. As I recall, that was a —————— (= popular topic of our conversations = we always ...
Sasan's user avatar
  • 3,462
-1 votes
1 answer
182 views

What is a word or phrase for student of the year? [closed]

I’m looking for a word/phrase similar to student of the year. I’m not using valedictorian, as I think it means student who has highest academic grade. I want to mean something that would mean like ...
Misha's user avatar
  • 107
0 votes
4 answers
89 views

How to say that something is not a matter of order?

In its attempts agains depopulation, the government issues new rules to encourage people to have more child. But childbearing is not —————— . I want to say that childbearing is not a matter of order, ...
Sasan's user avatar
  • 3,462
2 votes
6 answers
123 views

Name for the category of complex tasks/process where the standard is perfection

I'm looking for an English adjective, idiom, phrase, or principle to describe complex tasks/jobs/processes/things where the baseline is "perfection". And where people only notice the ...
Antoine Catton's user avatar
1 vote
6 answers
227 views

Looking for a word, phrase or expression that means "liking something which is generally considered bad for you"?

As per the title I am looking for a word, phrase, or expression which signifies liking something, taking pleasure, or being content with something generally considered negative. For example, the media ...
gred44's user avatar
  • 27
6 votes
4 answers
2k views

English term or phrase for the German "spötteln"

The German term "spötteln" means -perhaps- a light version of "spotten" for which LEO.org gives english words like "to jeer", [edited] "jibe" [/edited], "...
Gottfried Helms's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
487 views

Term or phrase for an easy and yet difficult task/process [duplicate]

Is there any term or phrase to (idiomatically) describe a situation/task/process that is easy from one point of view but and at the same time difficult from another perspective. The answer shoudl be ...
Eilia's user avatar
  • 5,499
2 votes
5 answers
239 views

What is a word or phrase that describes someone changes themselves in order to fit a role?

Does anyone have a clue or an idiomatic phrase for this: When someone changes themselves in order to fit a role Ex: When someone gets a new job, they learn new abilities to suit that role. Ex2: When ...
Elainor's user avatar
  • 139
21 votes
10 answers
10k views

What is a term for a phenomenon where two people doing the same job are less effective than one person doing it alone?

For example, imagine a worker in a widget factory who is responsible for checking if all the widgets on a conveyor belt are well-made. This worker is successful in their job 99% of the time. However, ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
0 votes
4 answers
1k views

What to call someone who comes from the same hometown?

What word or phrase can describe people who come from the same place? It's always nice to meet ______ in a foreign land
minseong's user avatar
  • 3,526
0 votes
1 answer
69 views

Term for the state of having tried to solve a problem for too long that a "temporary tunnel vision" develops

I stare at this bug in my code continuously for ten hours and find myself none the wiser as it stares right back at me by the end of them. Electing to give in to the reasonable part of me (small as ...
Shay's user avatar
  • 103
2 votes
8 answers
2k views

What do you say when people ate the food you cooked until nothing is left? [closed]

What do you say when people ate the food you cooked until nothing is left? The corn soup that I made is… or is there any other expression or sentence form to say for this situation?
Nana's user avatar
  • 29
-1 votes
2 answers
73 views

Describe an event that will be held at a time other than its standard one [duplicate]

How to describe an event that is usually held in a specific time-frame but this time and based on the extraordinary conditions should be held at another time? Specifically, FIFA World Cup usually held ...
Eilia's user avatar
  • 5,499

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