All Questions
10
questions
6
votes
1
answer
379
views
single word or phrase for particular feeling of release
Is there a word that describes when you have a great idea, revolutionary even, and then you find out it has already been done? Or maybe, that feeling - not futility, not Sisyphean - but that wry ...
- 61
0
votes
1
answer
2k
views
what is a "Tragic missed opportunity"? [closed]
What is "A tragic missed opportunity."?
Context:
It (The fight between Russia Tsar and landowners) was a tragic missed opportunity. Had the Tsar had pulled this off, Russian history would have been ...
- 335
19
votes
3
answers
13k
views
What is this type of idiom called: "I know he's not the smartest person in the world, but..."
Basically, when someone says something along the lines of
"I know he's not the smartest person in the world, but he should at least pass first grade math."
It's peculiar because they are using ...
- 303
-2
votes
1
answer
830
views
When adverbs like "sure" are used to mean the opposite of their typical meaning [closed]
Is there a term or phrase to describe the phenomenon in English where sometimes a statement is qualified with an adverb, which normally would make the claim stronger but native English speakers tend ...
- 2,910
1
vote
9
answers
16k
views
What is the word that defines walking confidently, coldly and calmly? [closed]
Is there a word for walking confidently, coldly and calmly...but not angrily, frustrated or in a rush. And not a fake self-confident walk to make people believe you are an important person.
- 1,056
17
votes
3
answers
4k
views
What is the action called when a grumpy old man shows that he is annoyed, by making a 'throat-clearing' sound?
Sometimes when a grumpy old man gets annoyed, he makes noises like clearing his throat. Does grumbling or grunting define that action? Is there a more appropriate word or an idiom for that?
- 1,056
1
vote
8
answers
7k
views
Is there a word or an idiom for respecting someone because you are afraid of him?
I am looking for a word or an idiom about showing respect to someone superior in work because you are afraid of him. I'm not talking about real respect or showing respect to him or his works, just ...
- 1,056
11
votes
10
answers
5k
views
What's the word for the facial expression over an unexpected disappointment?
If your friend says something sarcastic to you unexpectedly when you are talking about something that makes you exited or your innermost feelings and makes you feel stupid. What's the most widely ...
- 1,056
5
votes
2
answers
464
views
What does “wooden clothes” contained in “Comfort bag (assorted present kit) and the sender of it “have had themselves” mean?
Toru Hashimoto, Mayor of Osaka’s comment asserting the “Comfort women” system during wartime was ‘A necessary evil’ was appalling, and I feel deeply shameful of his sensless remarks as a Japanese. But ...
- 70.2k
-2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
"Bring the house down" [closed]
What is a group or person called who "brings the house down" or "can bring the house down"?
- 291