All Questions
Tagged with single-word-requests idioms
208
questions
7
votes
15
answers
57k
views
Is there an idiom for people who boast too much?
I am looking for idioms or informal/slang/colloquial expression for some people that make you think that they are able of building a skyscraper, constructing a spaceship, playing the piano better than ...
- 1,687
6
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Word or phrase for hogging the left lane
Frequently on two-lane freeways, at least in the US, people drive in the left lane at exactly the same speed next to a car in the right lane, thus blocking the road.
Cars tend to back up behind these ...
- 161
4
votes
8
answers
5k
views
What is the opposite of "green"? [closed]
What best completes this sentence?
Joe, in opposition to environment-friendly sentiments, has decided to go ____.
- 181
3
votes
3
answers
263
views
Multiple stone throws
"A stone's throw" is often used to describe a short distance. Is there a widely recognized English word or expression that similarly describes an intermediate distance, but which does not actually ...
- 376
12
votes
12
answers
6k
views
Words to describe a semi-literate person
I once had a manager whose level of literacy was lacking to the extent that he would nearly always return my technical reports with sections rewritten such that they became either ungrammatical, or ...
- 2,430
3
votes
5
answers
1k
views
A term for a "clean" win
I'm looking for a sports-related term in English, that means that one side had won without the other side having scored a single point, e.g. 1:0 or 5:0.
Is it "a clean win", or does a clean win mean ...
53
votes
8
answers
10k
views
English counterpart to Japanese signal word, “Dokkoisho”
What is an English counterpart to the Japanese signal word, “Dokkoisho” uttered unconsciously in such case as sitting down on the bench?
When you get old, it becomes tough to move your body. We ...
- 70.2k
66
votes
11
answers
6k
views
Is there an English phrase for an inability to actually *leave* already?
There is a Hungarian expression, küszöbgörcs, which literally means "threshold-cramp", and is used to describe that long conversation you have in the entryway, with all the guests awkwardly holding ...
- 32.9k
2
votes
5
answers
455
views
Is it correct to say 'struck an example'?
When teaching people, is it correct to say:
'The author struck an example.' ?
Can anybody give me another word used to mean 'give an example' when using examples or parables to teach people.
- 8,746
5
votes
12
answers
125k
views
What words can I use to indicate how hungry I am?
Besides "I'm hungry" and "I'm starving", where starving is more than hungry, are there other phrases to indicate how hungry you are (including slangs, if any)?
26
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Is there a name for this type of insult: "I am friends with many manly men. And Gary."?
Is there a term or word appropriate to describe the trick of using a general term and then explicitly adding a specific term to strongly imply that the specific is not part of the general? The trick I ...
- 35.8k
14
votes
10
answers
31k
views
What is the pejorative for people who only practice their faith while at the place of worship?
What is the phrase or word for person that are very faithful in their place of worship (the pejorative usually applies to persons who are showy to the point of hypocrisy), but that are anything but ...
- 2,554
13
votes
10
answers
31k
views
"To kill a fly with a..."?
I seem to recall that there is an expression for when you are throwing something too big at a particular challenge: "To kill a fly with a..."? Or am I way off here?
Edit: maybe it's not a fly after ...
- 1,593