Sherpa English

The Whole Nine Yards

2011-06-30T21:10:00.001+08:00

Hi, everyone. I have a fascinating idiom for you today, The Whole Nine Yards. The Phrase Finder website states that of all the English idioms that are examined for their origins and meanings there, this phrase is asked about the most often. Everyone agrees about what it means:

All of something; the full measure or extent of something. To fully encompass or perform something

I was mugged. They took my wallet, my keys, my shoes, – the whole nine yards!

Four bedroom home, located in Country Club Estates. Running distance from Golf Course. Completed and ready to move in. This home has "the whole nine yards" in convenience

He give' the executive board the whole nine yards" and read an item-by-item report on the project that took over two hours

Yet, it is about the origin of the phrase that people have widely different opinions.

Here's a list of the many and various suggested origins sent in by readers of that website. This piece is quite long, so here's a summary:

The earliest known citation of the phrase in print is from 1964, which argues strongly against any of the supposed mediaeval, Victorian or even World War II origins.
The weight of circumstantial evidence, based on the number of early citations, is that the phrase originated in the American military, although the context of the coinage is uncertain.

It is very possible that the phrase was coined by servicemen in Vietnam. In this case, the probable source for this would be the Montagnard hill tribes (pronounced "Mon-tan-yard),of which there were nine tribes who lived in the northern highlands of Vietnam. They were referred to by a slang name that the US forces had given them: 'the Yards'. Thus, The Whole Nine Yards. Judging on the basis of the first time that this phrase actually appears in print, this is the strongest candidate for the origins of the idiom. Other strong possibilities are:

- The length of RAF Spitfire's machine gun bullet belts. (9 yards/27 feet).
- The length of ammunition belts in ground based anti-aircraft turrets, etc. No evidence to show that any of these measured nine yards has been forthcoming.
Tailors use nine yards of material for top quality suits. Related to 'dressed to the nines'?
The derivation has even been suggested as being naval and that the yards are shipyards rather than measures of area or volume. Another naval version is that the yards are the spars of sailing ships. The name for the spar that hold the sails is a yard. Large sailing ships had three masts, often with three yards on each. The theory goes that ships in battle can continue changing direction as new sails are unfurled. Only when the last sail, on the ninth yard, is used do the enemy know which direction the ship is finally headed.
A mediaeval test requiring the victim to walk nine paces over hot coals.

The origins put forward are astonishingly various and, by definition, as there can be but one actual origin of the phrase, almost all are entirely wrong. So no one really knows the origins of this idiom, but this are the most popular choices for its origins.

Here are the current percentage scores.

Catch on

2011-06-25T19:40:00.000+08:00

For some strange reason, some ideas just don't catch on

Today's phrasal verb is Catch On. It has two meanings. The first one is:
To finally understand or perceive what is going on.

Everyone else realised what was happening, but it took Henry ages to catch on

Notes: Intransitive
Synonyms: Get the hang of, pick up, figure out

The second meaning is:
To become popular

Many music critics were shocked when techno caught on in the clubs.
It wasn't long before the internet caught on. Virtually everyone and their grandmother was "online".

Notes: Intransitive
Synonym: Succeed

Jockey For Position

2011-06-23T19:05:00.000+08:00


Those horses and their jockeys are working hard to "jockey for position". Three of them will end up in the Winner's Circle.

Today's idiom is Jockey For Position, which means:

1. Literally,. to work one's horse into a desired position in a horse race.

The racehorse,Magical Wine, was behind, but jockeying for position.

2. Figuratively, to work oneself into a desired position. If a number of people want the same opportunity and are struggling to emerge as the most likely candidate, they are jockeying for position.

The political candidates were jockeying for position, trying to get the best television exposure.

I was jockeying for position with the other guys to see who could date Monica, but I didn't have enough money.

The basketball players jockeyed for position under the backboard for the rebound

Play Someone Off Against (someone else) and Play Both Ends Against The Middle

2011-06-18T00:12:00.000+08:00

My guess is he knows a lot about how to play his enemies off against each other.

Today's phrasal verb is Play Someone Off Against (someone else), which means:
To scheme in a manner that sets opposing parties or interests against one another so as to advance one's own goal: to have more control or power over a situation.

Ichiro wanted to beat me up and so did Kazu. I did some fast talking and played them off against each other. They ended up fighting and I was able to get away!.
The president played the House off against the Senate and ended up getting his own way.
He played the two salesmen off against each other to get the best deal.

Notes: Separable [obligatory]
Synonym: outwit, double-cross

Both of these characters from "Lost" were very good at playing both sides against the middle, especially one the one the right, Ben. John showed he could play people off against each other, too, as time went on in the series.

Today's idiom, Play Both Ends Against The Middle, is actually a synonym, in idiom form, of today's phrasal verb, Play Off Against, and therefore requires no further definition.

My stepson is a master of playing both ends against the middle between his father and I.

Narrow Down and In The Offing.

2011-06-14T00:12:00.002+08:00

He's narrowed down his options of what to next to just playing!

Today's verbal phrase is Narrow Down, which means:

To reduce a list of possibilities from many to a selected few.

We can narrow the choice down to green or red.
I am not sure which university to apply to, but I have narrowed my list down to three.
I cannot narrow down the rules for this game. It is complex and you will simply just have to play it and lose a few times before you understand its finer points.

Synonyms:pin down, nail down, narrow, peg down, specify, determine

Today's idiom is In The Offing. It means:

An event that is imminent or likely to occur soon in the near or immediate future

With exams finished and graduation in the offing, the students enthusiastically celebrated.

Plans for a new highway through this are are in the offing.

Jack: I thought that we were going to get a new copier? Jill: It's in the offing. It will probably arrive sometime next month.

Origin

This another one of the many phrases of nautical origin. It is quite simple to understand once you know that 'the offing' is the part of the sea that can be seen from land, excluding those parts that are near the shore. Someone who was watching out for a ship to arrive would first see it approaching when it was 'in the offing' and expected to dock before the next tide. Something that is 'in the offing' isn't happening now or even in a minute or two, but will inevitably happen before long. The phrase has migrated from its naval origin into general use in the language and is now used to describe any event that is imminent. 'The offing', although more usually used in the context of ships arriving, derives from the adjective 'off',

Chalk Up and Chalk Up To

2011-06-11T21:53:00.001+08:00

The world's oldest equine twins, Bill and Ben, have chalked up another milestone; reaching 25 at their seaside retreat in Wales, where they continue to keep staff on their toes.

I have two related phrasal verbs Today. The first is Chalk Up, which means:
To score or achieve something, or record a score or victory

The company has chalked up its highest ever profits.
I chalked up another five kilometers of jogging today. That makes 20 that I completed this week.
I make it a point to chalk up all of my daily expenditures every day so I know how much money I am spending.

Notes: Separable [optional] transitive verb
: score, mark up, rack up, gain, win, obtain, get, collect, accumulate

You can chalk up this wonderful piece of art to some very wonderful children

The second phrasal verb is Chalk Up To.
It means: To explain the reason for a situation, often a problem

They chalked the poor sales up to the lower numbers of tourists visiting this year.
You will just have to chalk up losing your girlfriend because of your bad temper to experience.

Notes: - Separable [obligatory]

To Be In (The) Good Graces Of

2011-06-04T20:22:00.000+08:00

This game winning shot put him back in the good graces of the fans, making up for his previous bad performance the night before

Today's idiom is To Be In The Good Graces Of. It means,

To be in favor with.

I'm finally in the good graces of my girlfriend again. She accepted my gift and apology.

I'm back in the good graces of my boss. I have been working as hard as I can for weeks to make him forget my last mistake.

Sharon is in the good graces of her landlord. Because she a perfect tenant, he just installed a new refrigerator in her apartment.

I like to get in the good graces of my professors. I find that it really helps my final semester grade.

The origin of this idiom is difficult to say. It has to do at least a couple of the meanings of the word "grace" : generosity of spirit: a capacity to tolerate, accommodate, or forgive people and the gift of God to humankind: in Christianity, the infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodwill shown to humankind by God

Synonym: To be in good standing with

Antonym: In the bad graces of, out of good grace with

Pick/Take Up The Slack and Cut/Give Some Slack

2011-06-01T22:23:00.001+08:00

Australian Centerfold: Some other kangaroo is going to have to pick up the slack for this one.

I have two idioms for you today. The first one is Pick Up or Take Up The Slack. It means:
To do the work which someone else has stopped doing, but which still needs to be done

When Sue starts going out to work each day, Bob and the kids will have to take up the slack and help more at home.
With our best player injured, other players picked up the slack.
Who will take up the slack when our grant money runs out?

Whew! What have I been worrying about? Wait! Do I have to wait a hundred years before I cut myself some?

The next idiom is to Cut Some(one) Slack. It means:
To allow someone to do something that is not usually allowed, or to treat someone less severely than is usual or to give someone additional freedom.

Officials have asked the Environmental Protection Agency to cut Utah some slack in enforcing the Clean Air Act.
I'm going to cut you some slack because it's the last day of classes. We don't have to talk anything serious today.
If you and your kids don't agree about their futures, cut them some slack - explain your views, but don't try to force them to agree.

Origins: Both have a nautical origin, that is, they come from the language of British sailors. So many idioms do. Slack means the opposite of tight or taut. Picking up the slack means for (another) pair of hands to pick up a portion of a rope that is hangings loosely and to pull on it. Cut some slack means to stop pulling on a rope and allow another sailor a chance to fix whatever is tangling it or otherwise wrong. It's often used in a broader sense than that, roughly equivalent to "Give me a break."

A Cut Above and Gear Up

2011-05-27T22:50:00.000+08:00

This huge Great Dane at age 15 mos. is a cut above the others in the dog show.

Today's idiom is Cut Above. It means:
A person or thing that is better in some way.

She is a cut above her colleagues. She will be chosen to represent the company.
This business suit is a cut above the last one I purchased.
This Chinese restaurant is a cut above it's competitors in this town.

The origins of this idiom are not clear, but in my opinion it derives from a better "cut" of beef. That is, some parts of a cow are better to eat than others. Although I am not an expert, it is my understanding that the higher regions on the body of a cow provide better meat. Thus, we speak about various "cuts of beef". This can also be used to refer to the better "cuts" of pork, venison, or mutton, etc.

Gearing up for the first day of swimming lessons!

Today's phrasal verb is Gear Up. It means:
To prepare somebody or something to do something; to take action in preparation for something,

We're all geared up for the next round of talks
Our company geared up for these new challenges

A group of investors were gearing up for the takeover fight.

The town is gearing up for the carnival this weekend.
Most banks have geared themselves up for an electronic future.
The tobacco companies are gearing up to fight the new tax.
The shops are gearing up for the New Year sales.

Notes: transitive and intransitive verb. This expression derives from the idea of shifting to a larger transmission gear on a vehicle engine, but it could also derive from the idea of putting on special equipment or "gear", which is worn on the body.

Synonyms: get ready, prepare yourself, prepare, mobilize, ready yourself, psych yourself up

Down In The Dumps

2011-05-22T20:21:00.000+08:00

Today's idiom is Down In The Dumps, which means:
A gloomy, melancholy state of mind; depression.

Poor Charlie has been down in the dumps since he learned that he's lost his job.
Mary has been very down in the dumps this week, and nobody can cheer her up.
I’m sorry I’ve been so down in the dumps lately. I’m just upset because my girlfriend left me.
Anna is down in the dumps because her father just died.

Synonyms: miserable, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, dismal, dispirited, downcast, downhearted, fed up*, gloomy, glum, low, melancholy, moody, unhappy, woebegone

Note: Someone Down In The Dumps may momentarily feel ready to be hauled off to the garbage dump, but the 'dumps' in the expression derives from the Dutch 'domp,' 'mental haze or dullness,' or from the German 'dumpf,' 'close, heavy, oppressive, gloomy. During the Elizabethan period a 'dump' was also any kind of a slow, mournful song or dance. Even in Shakespeare's time, 'in the dumps' meant 'out of spirits.

Snowball (effect) and Out Of Hand

2011-05-20T20:58:00.000+08:00

I have two idioms for today. The first one is Snowball (often referred to as the "snowball effect"), which means:
A process that starts from an initial state of small significance and builds upon itself, becoming larger (graver, more serious), and perhaps potentially dangerous or disastrous, though it might be beneficial instead . The common analogy is with the rolling of a small ball of snow down a snow-covered hillside. As it rolls the ball will pick up more snow, gaining more mass and surface area, and picking up even more snow and momentum as it rolls along. This idiom is frequently a verb: snow·balled, snow·ball·ing, snow·balls

The problems facing us snowballed by the hour . First, we couldn't find the car keys, then we got stuck in traffic, then we got a flat tire. In the end, we were over three hours late.
The 2008 recession in the United States is a classic example of the "snowball effect": The government responded by borrowing money until investors became anxious, thus dropping government bonds, which drove prices lower and rates higher. Unfortunately, that caused the government to decrease spending and prioritize paying back investors, which made the economy worse, creating more unemployment, debts and thus increasing the national deficit.
His success just snowballed. First he opened one restaurant and before you knew it he had several.

Synonyms: domino effect, a vicious circle, a spiral of decline, (a virtuous circle in circumstances where the "snowball effect" is a positive one). escalation, upsurge, enlargement, developmental increase.

Today's second idiom is Out of Hand, which has four meanings:

1. Out of control

Employee absenteeism has gotten out of hand.

The situation in the classroom is getting out of hand. The students will not be quiet.

The riots got out of hand and several protesters were injured.

2. Without delay or deliberation. Without consideration or explanation

My suggestions were dismissed out of hand by my employer

The committee rejected the plan out of hand without even considering its possibilities.

Moving to London is certainly a possibility - I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand.

3. Uncalled for or improper; indiscreet.

That statement is out of hand. I demand that you retract it immediately!
That demand is out of hand. It simply won't be considered.

4. out of somebody's hands: unable to be influenced by somebody

 The is situation is out of our hands.  Only God can decide.

Brendan Monroe, 2005 "When Things Get Out Of Hand"

Play Along and Bite The Hand That Feeds You

2011-05-18T21:58:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal is Play Along, which means:
To pretend to agree with somebody or something in order to gain an advantage, avoid conflict, or to get more information.

I disagreed with the idea but I had to play along because everyone else liked it.
He knew that if he didn't play along with the reporters, they would write unpleasant stories about him.
I don't really like their idea that much but for now, it is probably a good idea simply to play along.

It also has the literal meaning to play a musical instrument with someone or a group.

The trombonist sat down and began to play along with the other musicians.
(This is also called "sitting in").

Okay, so I couldn't find a photo for "play along", but "don't bite the hand that feeds you", my dear readers...

Today's idiom is Bite The Hand That Feeds You, which means:
Turn on someone that has supported you. to treat someone badly who has helped you in some way, often someone who has provided you with money

It is unwise to bite the hand that feeds you, but TV journalists need to tell the truth about the news business.
Leaving the company after they've spent three years training you - it's a bit like biting the hand that feeds you.

Rack Up and Things That Go Bump In The Night

2011-05-16T22:30:00.001+08:00

This is best way to avoid racking up credit debt

Today's phrasal verb is Rack Up, which has three meanings:
1-. to place something onto or into its rack.

You had better rack the billiard balls up when you finish this game.

2- to accumulate something; to collect or acquire something.

He's racked up a number of convictions for speeding.
We racked up a lot of miles on our last vacation.
Laura is starting to rack the money up now.
Even though Miller racked up 28 points, the team still lost.
The company racked up sales of $8 million in its first year of trading.

3-To damage something

They racked the car up in an accident.
He racked up his arm in the football game.

Notes: Separable [optional] transitive verb
Synonyms: chalk up, score, accumulate, make, achieve, collect, notch

"It's just the shadow of the tree branch, it's just the shadow of...aghhhh!"

Today's idiom is Things That Go Bump In The Night, which means:

Frightening but imagined supernatural events.

The earliest known example of the phrase in print is in the 1918 in the Bulletin of the School Oriental and African Studies:

"To a people ... who ... believe in genii, ghosts, goblins, and those terrific things that 'go bump in the night', protective charms are eagerly sought for."

That usage suggests that the author expected his readers to be familiar with the phrase. Around the same time the phrase was incorporated into a prayer:

From goulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night
Good Lord, deliver us!

This was recorded in The Cornish and West Country Litany, 1926, but it is quite likely to be much earlier.

Nail and Tall Task/Tall Order

2011-05-15T20:43:00.001+08:00

Today's slang is Nail. Nail, as a verb, has some unusual uses that I would like to bring to your attention. It has 8 meanings. The first is the most standard and ordinary use of the word as a verb:
1. To attach something with nails: to fasten, attach, or secure something using nails

I nailed the broken fence post back into place. It's not hanging loosely anymore.

2. To catch somebody who is guilty of an offense, prove the person's guilt, or have the person convicted (slang )

It took them five years to nail him for insider trading.

3.To prove that something is not true or valid and so stop others from believing it ( slang )

I finally nailed him about the "trickle down theory" of Reaganomics. He's finally come to realize that tax breaks for the wealthy never "trickled down".

4. To hit a target with projectile ( slang )

He nailed the 3 pointer with less than a second remaining on the clock to win the basketball game

5. To stop somebody and speak to him or her ( slang )

He nailed me in the corridor and demanded an explanation

6. To do something precisely or skillfully: to catch, hit, seize, or execute something with skill. (slang )

He nailed the high dive and won the medal
I nailed the test! I got the only Perfect score!

7 To identify somebody or establish something precisely ( slang )

I nailed him as a fraud as soon as he started talking about his wealthy background.

8. To keep something fixed or focused on something

His gaze was nailed to the astonishing scene.
Surprise nailed him to the spot.

Synonyms: pin, spike, tack, peg

This taxidermist was definitely given a tall order.

Today's idiom is Tall Task/Tall Order, both of which have the identical meaning:
A formidable task, order or requirement

Finishing in time was a tall order, but we did it.
I had the tall task of having to buy her a Christmas present. She is so hard to shop for.
Taking care of my friend's dog while he was on vacation was a tall order: he barked night and day.

Play Up To

2011-05-10T20:03:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Play Up To, which means:
To attempt to please somebody by flattery or an overly nice manner because you want them to like you or to do something for you

I'm playing up to my boss at the moment because I want the promotion.
He took great pains to play up to Joan’s mother

Note: transitive verb
Synonyms: flatter, win the favor of, butter up, toady, ingratiate yourself with, creep, crawl, suck up to

Force One's Hand

2011-05-07T21:11:00.002+08:00

"This bet will force his hand, hehehe..."

Today's idiom is Force Someone's Hand, which means:
To force someone to act or speak prematurely or unwillingly. To bring about a situation which necessitates a person to act, often causing that person's plan to be revealed earlier than intended. To leave a person no other option but to act with whatever resources they have available to confront the challenge.

He didn't want to decide just then, but the board forced his hand.
The daily oppression and injustice forced the people's hand. They had no choice but to revolt.
That bet force's my hand. I fold.
If you don't tell me which one of you boy's broke the vase, you're going to force my hand: I'll have to punish you both.

Synonyms: browbeat, hold a gun to one's head, impel

This expression alludes to the hand (the cards) held in a game such as whist or poker, in which a player is compelled to play some card from his hand or to reveal his hand. This is done by increasing the bet, "I see your hundred and raise you 200". That player who is being raised has no choice but to match the bet or fold his cards (quit that hand, and thus lose immediately).

Play Down/Play Up and Spin Doctor

2011-05-04T22:39:00.000+08:00

"Play down how fattening it is and play up its taste" (One P.R. man to another)

There are two phrasal verbs today: Play Up and Play Down. They are antonyms, meaning they have opposite meanings. Play Down is probably the more common of the two, so I will begin with it. It means:
To try to make something seem less important or significant than it is.

The Government has tried to play down the importance of the minister's resignation.
The spin doctors are playing down the significance of the charge.
He is a very humble guy. Although he is extremely talented at a number of things, he always plays down his accomplishments.

Play Up means:
To emphasize or exaggerate something in order t o make someone or something seem to be more important. To be a booster of something. or to make something more easily noticed. Often something is played up in order to gain an advantage.

The director tried to play Ann up, but she was not really a star.
Try to play up the good qualities of our product.
The press played the scandal up so much that everyone became bored with it.
The report plays up the benefits of the plan, but doesn't say much about the costs.
Instead of being defeated by her cancer treatment, she played it up, even showing off her bald head at work.
She played up her commercial know-how for all she was worth.
He plays up his ability to play guitar every chance he gets because he thinks people will be impressed.

Notes: Both are transitive and separable [optional]
Synonyms for Play Down: minimize,make light of, underplay, underestimate, make little of
Synonyms for Play Up: exaggerate,(over)emphasize, embellish, highlight, draw attention to, stress,overstate,overstress,embroider,inflate, lay on(thick), amplify

I have a piece of slang for you today; Spin Doctor (noun), which means:

A person who publicizes favorable interpretations of the words and actions of a public figure, especially a politician. A person who provides a favourable slant to an item of news, potentially unpopular policy, etc., esp on behalf of a political personality or party. A public relations person who tries to forestall negative publicity by publicizing a favorable interpretation of the words or actions of a company or political party or famous person. Spin Doctors try to play down or play up a situation, person, policy, etc., whichever is to their best advantage.

His title is Director of Communications but he is just a spin doctor"

Whenever there is an industrial accident you can expect the company spin doctors to arrive to deliver the best possible appearance for the company

Synonyms: spinmeister, media flak, public relations person - publicist, propagandist, PRO, PR man, public relations officer, press agent,

This is of American origin and came about during the 1980s, when the need for 'sound bites' became pressing enough to require a new class of publicist to provide them. The earliest printed references are from that period, For example, this from The New York Times, October 1984:

"A dozen men in good suits and women in silk dresses will circulate smoothly among the reporters, spouting confident opinions. They won't be just press agents trying to impart a favorable spin to a routine release. They'll be the Spin Doctors, senior advisers to the candidates."

So, why 'spin'? For the derivation of that we need to go back to yarn. We know that sailors and other storytellers have a reputation for "spinning yarns". A "yarn" is a fictional story or tale. Given a phrase in the language like 'spin a yarn', we might expect to assume that a yarn was a "tall tale" (very hard to believe) and that the tellers spun it out. From there it is a small step for the people employed in public relations to weave reports of factual events into palatable stories to be called 'spin doctors'. It is also possible that it means the spin given to a ball in various sports to make it go in the desired direction. I actually personally prefer this last possibility for its origin. Spin Doctors are good at putting the "right spin on things" so that it goes their way.

Take In and Bone To Pick

2011-04-30T23:06:00.000+08:00

What a view to take in!

Today's phrasal verb is Take In, which has eight meanings:
1.To understand and remember something

Children can't be expected to take in so much new information in one lesson.
The lecture was rather boring and I didn't take in much of what the lecturer said.
The news was such a shock that we still haven't taken it in.

2. To include something within the scope of something such as a list or plan

The study takes in the whole postwar period.

3. To deceive somebody by presenting a false appearance

We were all taken in by her plausible manner.
I was taken in by her story until someone told me the truth.

4. To give somebody shelter in your home

We've taken in our brother's best friend, who's currently unemployed. He'll stay in the room downstairs near the kitchen and will pay for food and rent as best he can until he gets his life in order again
The family took in the three homeless kittens.

5. To go and see some kind of entertainment, scenery or sport

Let's take in a movie this weekend
Hey, you want to take in the Giant's game tonight? I've got company tickets.
I took in the view of the Grand Canyon at sunset.

6. To do paid work on something at home

She takes in ironing twice a week from the wealthy family on the hill.
She takes in the neighbor's children for babysitting 5 days a week.

7. To alter a garment to make it narrower.

The jacket was far too big around the shoulders, so I had it taken in so that I could wear it
Mom, can you take these pants in? They're too big around the waist.

8. To bring somebody as a prisoner or witness to a police station

The burglar has been taken in to custody

Notes: Transitive/ Separable [optional]
Synonyms:1. absorb, understand, comprehend, grasp, assimilate, learn, discern, realize, accept, take on board, remember 2. include, contain, comprise, embrace, encompass, cover, enclose 3. deceive, dupe, fool, mislead, trick, swindle, defraud, cheat, con, hoodwink, take for a ride, lead down the garden path 4. let in, receive, admit, accommodate, welcome 7. reduce, alter, shrink, shorten, draw in, narrow, gather.

You got a bone to pick with me?

Today's idiom is Bone To Pick, which means:
A dispute that needs to be settled (with some one), an issue to be discussed and resolved between individuals. If you have a bone to pick with someone, you are annoyed about something they have done and want to tell them how you feel.

I have a bone to pick with you. I heard that you are dating my sister and I want to know why.
I have a bone to pick with the mailman. He's constantly late and often doesn't even put the letters in the box correctly.

Bone to pick," dates back to the 16th century, simply refers to a dog chewing endlessly on, and "picking clean," a large bone. A "bone to pick" is thus a subject or issue that is expected to require considerable discussion or argument. A similar phrase, "bone of contention," meaning an issue over which two people argue, also dates back to the 1500s and refers, appropriately, to two dogs fighting over an especially choice bone.

Hand Down and Get One's Ducks In A Row

2011-04-26T19:13:00.001+08:00

This fishing boat has been handed down from father to son for 4 generations

Today's phrasal verb is Hand Down, which has three meanings:
1-To pass on to the next generation

>My mother handed this wedding ring down to me. It has been in my family for five generations.
The land had been handed down from generation to generation in that family.
There is a legend that has been handed down by the people of this region that this area is haunted.

2-To make an official decision, especially the verdict of a court.

The jury wasted no time in handing down a verdict of innocence.
The corporate office handed down its new policy yesterday.

3- To pass clothes on from an older to a younger child. (Often called hand-me-downs, which is an idiom)

His mother handed down the clothes to him that his older brother had worn
I always have to wear my sister's old hand-me-downs. I never get any new clothes, but she does.

Notes: Transitive/Separable [optional]
Synonyms: leave, bequeath, pass down, transmit, will, hand on, pass on

"That's how you get your ducks in a row"

Today's idiom is a cute one: Get One's Ducks In A Row.
If you get your ducks in a row, you organise yourself and your life.

Jane is organized. She really gets all her ducks in a row right away.
You can't hope to go into a company and sell something until you get your ducks in a row
The government talks about tax changes but they won't fix a date or an amount - they just can't get their ducks in a row.

The origin of this phrase is uncertain, but there are several theories. Here they are.
It refers to the lead weights used by early ship builder draftsmen. They would create the curve lines of the ship with some sort of flexible material and hold it down with the lead weights which they called ducks. This enabled them to draw the curved lines.
It derives from "duck pins," a type of lawn bowling popular in Europe and America in the 1700s.

It refers to baby ducklings following their mother

It refers to the line of metal ducks at a mechanical shooting arcade

URL: http://able2know.org/topic/4102-1

Rig Out and A Closed Mouth Catches No Flies

2011-04-22T22:24:00.000+08:00

Rigged out for all contingencies

Today's phrasal verb is Rig Out, which has two meanings:
1-To put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive (transitive/separable).

She likes to get rigged up in the home team jersey and paint her face with grease paint in team colors when she goes to the games.
The young girls were all rigged out for the costume party as a pirate, a cowgirl, and a clown.
He rigged himself out in a tuxedo for the gala opening of the opera season

2- To provide equipment for somebody or something: to fit a person, place, or object with proper or necessary equipment (transitive/separable)

They rigged themselves out for a long mountain biking trip
He spent a lot of money rigging out the interior of his automobile.
Okay, the living room is rigged out for the party. All we need now is guests!

Synonyms: equip, provide, prepare, furnish, arrange, fit out
Synonyms: dress up, clothe, get up, kit out, attire, deck out

Mother says, "A Closed Mouth Catches No Flies".

Today's idiom, A Closed Mouth Catches No Flies, is a proverb, actually, and it means:
You cannot say an unkind or appropriate word if you don't speak at all

Jack: What do you think of her dress? Jill: A closed mouth catches no flies

The origin of this saying comes from an Italian proverb, but it is most famous for being quoted by Sancho Panza in Miguel De Cervantes' Don Quixote.

Hold Out and Bread and Butter

2011-04-17T21:56:00.000+08:00

Today's verbal phrase is Hold Out, which has four meanings:
1. To extend something: to stretch out or extend a part of the body, or offer something to somebody by doing this (transitive verb/separable).

She held out her hand.
The rescuers held a rope out to the swimmer.

2. To last: to keep up or continue to be in supply (intransitive verb/inseparable).

Is the food holding out?

3. To endure: to continue to resist and not give in to something (intransitive verb/inseparable).

The miners held out for two days without food or water
When the government forces attacked their strong hold, the rebels held out for six weeks.

4. resist: to refuse to settle something or accept something until all demands or conditions are met (intransitive verb/inseparble)

The bus drivers are holding out for a 6 percent raise

Synonyms: offer, give, present, extend, proffer, stretch out
stand firm, stand your ground, persist, endure, withstand, persevere, stand fast, last, resist

Antonym: withdraw

My good old bread and butter

Today's idiom is Bread and Butter and means,
someone's basic income; someone's livelihood—the source of one's food.

I can't miss another day of work. That's my bread and butter.
I worked as a bartender for a year, and it was the tips that were my bread and butter.
Teaching at the local college is his bread and butter.
Our customers are our bread and butter, so treat them with respect.
This a bread and butter issue, one that will affect people directly and in a very important way.
His curveball was his bread and butter pitch

Kick around and Bone Up

2011-04-15T22:31:00.000+08:00

"You won't have Richard Nixon to kick around anymore" (Famous Nixon quote as he conceded victory to JFK in 1961)

Today's phrasal verb is Kick Around, which has five meanings:
1) To discuss ( transitive/separable).

We kicked the idea around at the meeting.

2) To treat badly or abuse (transitive/separable).

"You won't have Richard Nixon to kick around anymore".

3) To move from place to place (transitive and intransitive/inseparable).

My in-laws are kicking around the house for the weekend.
We are going to kick around an old mining town and have a picnic in the hills
Let's kick around the mall Saturday afternoon.

I spent the next three years in Italy, kicking around the country on a motor scooter

He kicked around for several years in the minor leagues before he developed into a major league player.

4) To remain unnoticed, forgotten or neglected (intransitive/inseparable).

This old tennis racket has been kicking around in the closet for a long time. I decided I would take it out today and play a little tennis.

5) For a routine event to arrive

When evening kicks around, we'll go out for some dinner
When summer kicks around, we'll have some fun surfing.

Synonym: kick about

Today's idiom is Bone Up, which means:
To review prior studies, usually at the last minute. To become reacquainted with.

I boned up for the final French exam.
I boned up my relationship with my old college friend
I need to bone up on the subject. It's been years since I've studied it. I've forgotten everything

"I have to bone up on how to chomp a mammoth bone. I think my ancestors knew how to do it"

Note: There are two chief theories as to the origin of this phrase. One is that it derives from the practise of using bones to polish leather. So, to 'bone up' on a subject was to polish or refine one's knowledge. The second theory relates to the Victorian bookseller Henry George Bohn (1796-1884). He produced a large catalogue of books, including many study texts. Early citations of the phrase in print, of which there are very few, don't support either idea. Bone was used as a verb meaning 'to study' from the early 19th century onward. The first known citation that explicitly use 'bone up' is in Tenting on Plains by Elizabeth Custer (wife of General George Custer), 1887:

"I have known the General to 'bone-up', as his West Point phrase expressed it, on the smallest details of some question at issue."

The Bohn story has the feel of something retro-fitted to the facts. If it really were true we might expect to find some 19th century reference that linked Bohn name with the phrase, or some example of 'Bohn up' in print. Nevertheless, the term must have come from somewhere, so the polishing with bone seems the most probable. Without further evidence the origin remains uncertain.

Get Off It/Me and Dead In The Water

2011-04-10T18:07:00.000+08:00

"I'll do it, I'll do it. Now will you get off of me?"

The last post was about the phrasal verb, Get Off, which was an extremely long phrasal verb to write about. However, I am not quite done examining this phrasal. It has a couple more usages: Get Off Of It and Get Off Of Me, which have very different meanings. Get Off (Of) It means:
A way of expressing disbelief and demanding that someone cease talking,

I knew he was lying so I told him to get off of it. .
Oh, get off it! You know that performance enhancing drugs are a part of professional sports these days!

Notes: Intransitive, Inseparable. There is a great deal of question about just exactly "It" is in this phrasal verb. Many suggest that "It" refers to a "soap box", thus the idiom "Get Off Your Soap box" which commands people who stand on soapboxes to cease trying to persuade their listeners of some proposition. Soap boxes were apparently popular for people to stand on when they exercised their right to free speech and made a speech in a public area.

Get Off (Of) Me! means:

When someone is pressuring your space, physically and or mentally.

I walk into a room, and my co-worker impatiently says, "where were you?" I tell her, "I was in the bathroom, get off me".
How many times are you going to ask me to do this for you? I told you "no" the first time. Get Off Of Me!

Note: it may be something useful to say to someone who always bombards you with questions that you dont feel like you should have to answer... "get off me!"

"Dead In The Water"

Today's idiom is Dead In The Water, which means:

A project unable to function or move and thus, make no progress. A sailing ship that is dead in the water is stationary, with no wind in its sails to make it come alive. Transferring this to everyday life, it means 'not going anywhere, brought to a halt'

With no leadership, the project was dead in the water.

We've just run out of gas. We're dead in the water

With the injury to their two star players at the same time, the team's goal of a winning season was dead in the water.

Get Off and Run Of The Mill

2011-04-07T00:36:00.000+08:00


"Where do you get off telling me to get off your foot" "I get off on being in the middle" "Would you all be quiet, I can't get the kids off"...

Today's phrasal verb, Get Off, is a complex one. It has thirteen meanings(!):

1. To leave a bus, train, etc. to descend from or move off of something. (inseparable).

We will get off the bus at Montgomery St. station and then take the subway across the bay.
I got off the plane in Jeddah and immediately the humidity from the Red Sea hit me like a wave.
Get off of the table, it's not for sitting on.

2. To leave: to set out from a place or position (intransitive verb. Inseparable).

We have to get off at the crack of dawn tomorrow.

3. To be able to leave work: to be allowed to leave work, especially at the end of the working day ( transitive and intransitive verb. Inseparable).

What time do you get off this afternoon?
I just got off work. Let me take a shower and I'll meet you in a half hour at the cafe.

4. To help a baby or child sleep. (Separable/optional).

I can't get the kids off to bed because of the noise from next door.

5. To send communication or package: to send a written communication or package (transitive verb. Separable/obligatory).

I need to get these letters off tonight.
I got three emails off before the meeting.

6. To have a lucky escape: to experience only minor consequences of a mistake, misguided action, or accident (intransitive verb)

Considering what might have happened, I think you got off very lightly.
He got off with a warning from the police to repair his license plate.

7. To gain acquittal: to be acquitted in a court of law, or successfully defend somebody in a court of law ( informal: transitive and intransitive verb. Separable/optional).

A good lawyer could get him off with no trouble.
This defensed lawyer has a high acquittal rate: his clients always seem to get off.
He got off on a technicality and left the court a free man.

8. To manage to fire a gun (separable/optional).

She got off a few shots before she was arrested.

9. To say or write something funny (Separable/optional)

She got off some jokes at the start of her presentation.

10. Stop talking on the phone (Inseparable).

Let me know when he gets off the phone. I need to make a call.

11. To be so bold: to be bold enough to say or do something informal, usually disapproving. intransitive verb)

Where does he get off thinking he can speak to me that way?

12. To be aroused or excited, to enjoy: to experience excitement, physical arousal, or the effects of a drug (slang. intransitive verb )

He gets off on old movies.
I get off on snow boarding

13. taboo term: a highly offensive term meaning to have an orgasm (taboo. intransitive verb )

Synonyms: leave, depart, exit, go, embark, quit, go away dismount, get down, descend, come down, climb off, disembark

Your run of the mill nature painting

Today's idiom is Run Of The Mill, which means:
Something that common, everyday, ordinary item that does not stand out from all the rest. In other words, something or someone that is "run-of-the-mill" is probably not notable.

Jack: How was the movie? Jill: It was run of the mill
He is just a run of the mill baseball pitcher.
This pizza is simply run of the mill

Origin: this idiom is said to derive from early industrialism and is American in origin. The mill in question was a weaving/textile mill and the articles first called 'run of the mill' were clothes that were simply ordinary and functional, nothing more. An early citation of that comes from an advert by Cook, Taylor & Co. of Lowell, Massachusetts in The Lowell Daily Sun, December 1895:"Seconds and the run of the mill, but for all wearing purposes just the same as firsts at twice the price". However, my sense of the idiom had always been, before learning the above, that it referred to just the ordinary, everyday process of a flour mill going round and round.

a lovely old flour mill

Sail Through and Fly Off The Handle

2011-04-04T21:38:00.002+08:00

Today's verbal phrase is Sail Through, which means:
To pass easily, succeed or to move through something easily. To get through a procedure, evaluation, or vote quickly and easily.

He sailed through a very difficult surgery and is recovering nicely
He sailed through the final test.
The kids just sailed right through the ice cream and cake. There was not a bit left.
You have sailed through your allowance already.
We sailed through traffic on the motorcycle

The proposal sailed through the committee with no debate.

I hope that the mechanic sails through this car repair quickly.

Notes:

- Inseparable, transitive and intransitive verb
Synonyms: do with ease, breeze through.

Today's idiom is Fly Off The Handle, which means:

To lose self control, to lose one's temper.

Every time anyone mentions taxes, Mrs. Brown flies off the handle.

If she keeps flying off the handle like that, she'll have a heart attack.

He really flew off the handle when I suggested selling the house.

When we make mistakes, he brings it to our attention, but he doesn't fly off the handle like he used to.

This is an American phrase and it alludes to the uncontrolled way a loose axe-head flies off from its handle.

This is what I'm afraid I look like when I fly off the handle.

Occur To and Rats Off The Ship

2011-03-31T21:28:00.001+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Occur To, which means:
For a thought or idea to enter one's mind

Didn't it occur to you to help me when you saw how much trouble I was in?
It didn't occur to him to lock the door.
Would it ever occur to you that I want to be left alone?
Did it occur to you to call my apartment to see if I was there?
It never occurred to me to ask where she'd been.
It hadn't occurred to her that she would be expected to ride a bike.

Notes: often used in the form not occur to you. Inseparable and intransitive

Synonyms: dawn on, strike, appear, hit, cross your mind, come to mind

Today's idiom is (Like) Rats Off A (Sinking)Ship, which means:
People who abandon, forsake, desert, "ditch" or run when difficulties arise, or when things get bad, they are compared to rats jumping off a sinking ship. They flee a "lost cause" because they weren't committed to it.

When a ship is about to sink, rats are usually the first aboard it to depart. They are said to have very good instincts about this. The rats jump off and swim away because they know the ship is doomed and that they need to swim to safety. Some people, like rats, are only concerned for their own safety, well-being and self-interest and will not stay to help prevent the ship from sinking or to help others, unlike the captain and the men on the ship who try their best to save the "ship", which they are loyal to. The "ship", in this case, is a metaphor for a cause or some other sort of social organization, such as a business company. You can tell when something is about to fail because large numbers of people begin to leave it. These people are "rats", i.e., they are selfish and disloyal. In the rats defense, sometimes this is a great idea and the very best thing to do.

Jill: The company next door must be going bankrupt. Jack: How do you know? Jill: All its employees are resigning. Jack: Like rats off a sinking ship, eh?

Either you're loyal to this cause or your not. All rats off the ship now. We don't need you. Only those who still believe in it should remain in order to keep this effort afloat.

"What can I say? I could smell that the ship was sinking"

Saddle With and Beyond The Pale.

2011-03-29T21:28:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Saddle With, which means:

To be burdened, encumbered or weighed down. To give someone a task or responsibility that is difficult or hard work.

He was saddled with the heavy responsibility of raising his three children alone
They were saddled with heavy expenses.
The boss saddled his secretary with cleaning up all the files over the weekend

The war saddled the country with huge foreign debt.

They saddled me with preparing all the arrangements for the visit.

Notes:- Separable and transitive
Synonyms: afflict, bother, crush, cumber, depress, , dish out, dump on, encumber, hamper, handicap, hinder, impede, lade, load, make heavy, obligate, oppress, overcharge, overload, overwhelm, pile, press, , snow under, snow*, stick it to, strain, tax, trouble, try, vex, weigh down, worry

Someone saddled this poor dog with a ridiculous hat and the job of carrying beer around.

Today's idiom is Beyond The Pale, which means:

Unacceptable; outside agreed standards of decency. an action that’s regarded as outside the limits of acceptable behaviour, one that’s objectionable or improper.

After he's had a few beers his behaviour is often beyond the pale.

Her rude comments to my friends were really beyond the pale.

The behavior of the pupils during the break was beyond the pale.

Diogenes, The Cynic, chose to live beyond the pale of society, like a "dog" (Gr. kynikos, "dog-like")

Origin

The word 'pale' in this expression is not the adjective meaning 'whitish and light in colour', but it is in fact a now obsolete noun that used to mean 'a pointed piece of wood or a stake'. We no longer use this noun, but it is where the verb 'impale' originated from. Of course, a number of 'pales' in a row were used to make fences, and any area enclosed by a fence was believed to be safe. So anything 'beyond the pale' was considered to be outside the area accepted as 'safe'. Historically, several "pales" were created in Europe in order to separate or segregate one community of people from another. Catherine the Great created the Pale of Settlement in Russia in 1791. This was the name given to the western border region of the country, in which Jews were allowed to live. The motivation behind this was to restrict trade between Jews and native Russians. Some Jews were allowed to live, as a concession, 'beyond the pale'. Pales were enforced in various other European countries for similar political reasons, notably in Ireland (the Pale of Dublin) and France (the Pale of Calais, which was formed as early as 1360).

Pan Out and Gold Digger

2011-03-27T22:29:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Pan Out, which might also be considered an idiom, but I have a better idiom for later today. Pan Out means:
To turn out or to happen, especially successfully: come to pass; succeed

The couple's reconciliation just didn't pan out
He was very creative, although not all his ideas have panned out.
My latest sales prospect has finally panned out.
I don't know how things will pan out now that the company's been taken over.

Maybe something bright and shiny will pan out from this

Notes: Intransitive and inseparable.
Synonyms: work out, click, come out, culminate, eventuate, go over, happen, prove out, result, turn out, yield.
The phrase is idiomatic because it derives from the process of washing gravel, sand, etc. in a pan to separate gold or other heavy valuable metal.   There is also a secondary meaning to this verbal phrase, though it is not very common. It means: to zoom out with a camera in order to move back to a wider angle picture using a zoom lens.

Pan out at this point in the script and give a wider view of the scene.

Today's idiom is Gold Digger, which is also considered slang, means:

Any woman whose primary interest in a relationship is material benefits. Usually she is very attractive and lies about loving a man in order to gain his wealth. The closest male equivalent is a gigolo or boytoy.

That gold digger was never in love with him; she was in love with his money.

Do you see that woman over there? Watch out for her and your wallet. She's a gold digger.

Die For and Shut Your Cake Hole

2011-03-26T21:16:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Die For. It is often heard as To Die For, which has a slightly different meaning.
The first means: to want something a lot. The second means: that something is excellent.

I'm dying for the weekend to come!- this week's been so hard.
I would die for a Super Burrito with extra guacamole and cheese right now!
This blueberry cheesecake is to die for! Have a bite.

Today's idiom is Shut Your Cake Hole! It means:
Be quiet or more rudely, shut up.

Aaahh, just shut yer cake hole for a second, willya?. You never stop nagging.

Note: I personally like to use this phrase on neighborhood dogs who bark at me when I pass by their door.

Dead and Dead To Rights

2011-03-21T17:15:00.000+08:00

Today I am going to explain a usage of the word Dead that you may commonly hear, but not quite understand. This is its slang use to mean:

Exact, precise accurate; sure; unerring, absolutely; completely; altogether; direct or straight, and occasionally, to mean suddenly

The dead center of a circle/square/place/area. (exact, direct). We're in the dead center of town.

A dead shot. (accurate, precise) Bull's eye! That answer was a dead shot

A dead line. (straight, accurate, unerring). He made a dead line to the bathroom.

(not to be confused with "deadline", which means a time limit).

Dead right/Dead wrong (Absolutely/completely/ altogether). The Republicans are dead wrong about taxes.

Dead tired. (Absolutely/completely/ altogether).

Dead sure/certain (Absolutely/completely/ altogether)

Dead broke (Absolutely/completely/ altogether)

Dead ahead (direct/straight), e.g., There's a gas station dead ahead.

3. Stop dead (suddenly) She stopped dead on the stairway.

Dead Center!

Today's idiom is Dead To Rights, which means:

To be caught in the very act of making an error or committing a crime

The runner was thrown out, dead to rights, by the pitcher as he attempted to steal second base

The police caught the thief dead to rights with the stolen goods still in his hands.

I have you dead to rights in this lie!

"Picked off, dead to rights!"

Note: This is a very difficult idiom to understand. The first part of the phrase, “dead,” is the slang use of the word to mean “absolutely, without doubt", but the second part, "to rights” is a bit more complicated. “To rights” has been used since the 14th century to mean “in a proper manner,” or, later, “in proper condition or order,” "To rights" is probably used in British English much more than American English. This said, Dead To Rights is considered an American idiom. The British say "Bang To Rights". I suppose that the best definition of this idiom is "absolutely sure and certain order". In other words, "without question or doubt".

Get One's Head Around Something and Nose Out Of Joint.

2011-03-19T20:28:00.000+08:00

I have two idioms for you today: Get Your Head Around Something and Nose Out Of Joint. The first one means:
To come to understand something even though it is difficult to comprehend or to accept something that seems strange.

Have you got your head around your new job yet?

I just can't get my head around these tax forms.

I'm having a hard time getting my head around this new schedule.

There's a lot to get your head around on the first day of school.

The second one means:

To have one's feelings hurt or one's plans upset. To be irritated or envious, especially when displaced by someone.

Ever since Sheila got promoted he's had his nose out of joint.

The boss's praise of her assistant put Jean's nose out of joint.


What's your nose out of joint about this time? Your book 's selling.

Note: Presumably this expression alludes to the face-distorting grimace made by one who is displeased

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2011-03-15T21:08:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Dig Into, which has four meanings:
1-To reach inside to get something

She dug into her handbag and pulled out a bunch of keys.

He dug into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins

2-To use money that you had been saving

I’ve had to dig into my savings this month to pay for my car insurance.

3-To try to find information about something

After he announced his candidacy for congress, journalists began digging into his past

4-To press hard into something

The seat belt is digging into my shoulder
These new shoes are digging into my heels

Notes:
- Inseparable

Today's idiom is Straight Shooter, which means:

One who is honest, forthright and voices very accurate opinions

The owner of this cafe is a straight shooter who says what he thinks.

I always read E.J. Dionne's column in the Washington Post. He's a straight shooter.

Shot.

2011-03-15T01:08:00.000+08:00

I will give you a piece of common slang today; Shot, which means:

1-When something is old or breaks and no longer functions correctly.

I have to throw this old, dry paint away that's been sitting in the basement for years. It's shot.

These pants are shot. I can't wear them to work anymore.

The motherboard on my laptop computer is completely shot and beyond repair.

2-When someone is very tired or "messed up" and can no longer funtion normally.

Jack: You look thoroughly shot. Jill: Yes, I'm utterly exhausted!

Things are really going bad at work. The boss despises me. My career is shot!


	3-A small amount of an alcoholic beverege typically above 80 proof. Served in a small glass known as a tumbler or shot glass. Variety of mixed shots; whisky is the most common straight shot in America. Jack: I just lost my job. Give me a shot. Bartender: A shot of what? Jack: Anything.

Call For and Make One's Hair Stand Up (On End)

2011-03-11T22:23:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal is Call For, which has six meanings:
1-To demand or request for something to be done

The Opposition party called for the minister's resignation after the scandal broke.

2-To telephone for something

I'll call for a cab right away.
Do you want me to call for a pizza?

3-To arrive and collect someone to take them out

I'll call for you at seven, so be ready because the film starts at half past

4-To need or require a particular thing or quality

An emergency like this calls for some pretty drastic action.
You're getting engaged? This calls for a celebration!

5-To go to collect something

The courier called for your parcel, but I told him it wasn't ready yet.

6- To suggest as likely: to suggest that something is likely to happen ( refers to weather forecasts )

The weathercasters are calling for thunderstorms in the late afternoon.

Notes: Transitive verb. All usages are inseparable. Synonyms: need, require, justify, necessitate, cry out for, be in need of, exact (v.), order, demand, claim, clamor, request, ask

Today's idiom is Make One's Hair Stand On End, which means:

Something that causes someone to be very frightened

The horrible scream made my hair stand up..
The ghost story made our hair stand on end.
The thought of jumping out of an airplane makes my hair stand on end.

Note: This is first found in Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602:

"I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, thy knotted and combined locks to part and each particular hair to stand an end, like quills upon the fretful porpentine."

Shakespeare conjured up many images in his works; few though have been more vivid than the mental picture of a fretful porcupine. The allusion of makes your hair stand on end is to the actual sensation of hairs, especially those on the neck, standing upright when the skin contracts due to cold or to fear. This is otherwise known as 'goose-flesh' and the condition is, or rather was, known by the entirely splendid word horripilation. This was defined by Thomas Blount in his equally splendidly named book Glossographia, or a dictionary interpreting such hard words as are now used, 1656:"Horripilation, the standing up of the hair for fear... a sudden quaking, shuddering or shivering".

Back Out and Close, But No Cigar.

2011-03-10T00:18:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Back Out (Of), which has two meanings:
1-To fail to keep an arrangement or promise; to withdraw from a previous commitment

He backed out of going to concert two days before the show so we gave the ticket to his sister
The buyer backed out before the papers were signed.

2-To go backward: to move out backward, or cause something to move out backward; to exit a parking area in reverse gear;

She backed the BMW out of its parking space.
He backed out of the overcrowded elevator, realizing that he wouldn't fit.

Some days are harder than others to back your car out.

Notes: Definition 1 is intransitive and inseparable and Definition 2 is both transitive and intransitive and separable. Synonyms for Definition 1: pull out, withdraw, renege, go back on, cancel, change your mind, drop out, call off, beg off, cry off, fink out. Synonym for Definition: back up, move in reverse.

Today's idiom is Close, But No Cigar, which means:

Fall just short of a successful outcome and get nothing or very little for your efforts.

Something that you say to someone if what they tell you or what they do is nearly correct but not completely

Jill: How did you do in the contest? Jane: Close, but no cigar. I got second place.

Jack: "Is his name Howard?" Jill:"Close, but no cigar. It's Harold."

Close, but no cigar, old boy.

Notes: The phrase, and its variant 'nice try, but no cigar', are of US origin and date from the mid-20th century. Fairground stalls gave out cigars as prizes,

Act Out and Nick Of Time

2011-03-08T18:00:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Act Out, which has three meanings:
1-Perform something with actions and gestures, and usually with speech or dialogue.

They acted out the story on stage.
Do children act out what they see on television?

2. To express a negative feeling or impulse by behaving in a socially unacceptable way

Their anger is acted out in their antisocial behavior.
Because his parents spent so much time with his chronically ill sister, the boy resorted to acting out in order to get attention.

3. To translate into action or realize through action

He wanted to see his theory acted out in practice
They were unwilling to act out their beliefs in human rights and dignity due to their fear that it might get them hurt or killed by the militia.

Notes: transitive and intransitive verb. - Separable [optional].
Acting out is a psychological term from the parlance of defense mechanisms and self-control, meaning to perform an action in contrast to bearing and managing the impulse to perform it. The acting done is usually anti-social and may take the form of acting on the impulses of an addiction (eg. drinking, drug taking or shoplifting) or in a means designed (often unconsciously or semi-consciously) to garner attention (eg. throwing a tantrum or behaving promiscuously). In general usage, the action performed is destructive to self or others and may inhibit the development of more constructive responses to the feelings. The term is used in this way in sexual addiction treatment, psychotherapy, criminology and parenting. Acting out painful feelings may be contrasted with expressing them in ways more helpful to the sufferer, e.g. by talking out, expressive therapy, psychodrama or mindful awareness of the feelings. Developing the ability to express one's conflicts safely and constructively is an important part of impulse control, personal development and self-care.

Today's idiom is In The (Very) Nick Of Time, which means:

Just in time; at the last possible instant; just before it's too late.

The doctor arrived in the nick of time. The patient's life was saved.

I reached the airport in the very nick of time and made my flight.

Note: (*Typically: arrive ~; get there ~; happen ~; reach something ~; Save someone ~.). The "nick" in Nick of Time that is being referred comes from a notch or small cut and was synonymous with precision. Such notches were used on 'tally' sticks to measure or keep score. If someone is now said to be 'in the nick' the English would expect him to be found in prison, the Scots would picture him in the valley between two hills and Australians would imagine him to be naked. To Shakespeare and his contemporaries if someone were 'in (or at, or upon) the (very) nick' they were in the precise place at the precise time. Watches and the strings of musical instruments were adjusted to precise pre-marked nicks to keep them in proper order.

Rule Out and Fly In The Ointment

2011-03-04T22:09:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Rule Out, which means
1-To exclude something or someone or make a decision not to consider something

The police have ruled out suicide and are treating it as a case of murder
Well, it's raining now. That rules out our picnic today.
He's ruling out going to medical school. He simply doesn't have the money for it.
The background check on him completely rules out our ever hiring him

2. prevent something or to make something impossible

By moving his Bishop to A4 rules out my moving my Rook to E8

There are no avocados in the market today. That rules out making guacamole.

Notes: Separable [optional] and transitive.

Today's idiom is Fly In The Ointment, which means
1-A small annoyance that spoils an otherwise pleasant experience or thing.

We enjoyed the play, but the fly in the ointment was not being able to find my hat afterward.
I wish you hadn't decided to have anchovies put on the pizza. That's a fly in the ointment.

2-Someone or something that spoils a situation which could have been successful or pleasant.

Now that Martha has arrived at this party is a real fly in the ointment. I was enjoying Robert's party until now.

3-A drawback

It sounds like a good idea, but there must be a fly in the ointment somewhere.

I'd like to buy this car, but the fly in the ointment is that it doesn't come with air conditioning.

Washed Up and Put A Spanner In The Works

2011-03-03T20:54:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Washed Up, which has two meanings:
1. Something deposited by the tide on a shore

There were hundreds of jellyfish washed-up on the shore

2. Someone, and occasionally something, no longer effective or successful

The baseball pitcher had been traded three times in the last three years, was 40 years old, and was considered washed-up at this point in his career.
She hadn't made a movie in 3 years and was considered a washed- up actress around Hollywood.
The company was deep in debt, consumers and investors had lost confidence in it, and was now simply washed-up.

Today's idiom is Throw (Put) A Monkey Wrench (Spanner) In The Works, which means
Something or someone which prevents a plan or activity from succeeding, often causing mayhem and often intentionally so.

We were hoping to get the project started in June but the funding was withdrawn so that rather threw a monkey wrench in the works
The sudden withdrawal of the guest speaker really put a spanner in the works.

Note:'Put (or throw/toss) a spanner (monkey wrench) in the works' refers to the calamitous effects of throwing a spanner into the gears and pistons of an engine while it's running.

Monkey Wrench is American English and Spanner is British English.

Cough Up and Flying By The Seat of One's Pants

2011-02-27T14:30:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Cough Up, which means
1. to get something out of the body by coughing.

She coughed up phlegm all night.
The dying man coughed up blood.

2. To vomit something. (euphemism)
The dog coughed the rabbit up
.
3. To produce or present something, such as an amount of money, often unwillingly. (Slang)

You will cough the money up, won't you?
I had to cough up $35 for administration fees
He finally coughed up the truth after intense questioning by the police
The schoolyard bully coughed up her book after she told the teacher he had taken it.

4. To allow an opponent to take the lead in a competition

The Giants got a 3-0 lead in the second inning but then coughed it up in the third.

5. Lose possession of a ball, etc. in a contact sport

He was checked so hard he coughed up the puck in front of his own goal.

Notes: Separable. Related vocabulary: fork over something

Today's idiom is Flying By The Seat Of One's Pants, which means
1.To do something without a plan, to figure things out as you go, 2. To perform something by feel and intuition rather than by instruments, formal guidelines, experience or education.3. To act in a haphazard manner.

Most stockbrokers aren't making educated guesses, they're just flying by the seat of their pants.
Without the instructions, we're just going to have to fly by the seat of our pants.
The two boys hopped on the bike together and rode through traffic across town, flying by the seat of their pants.

This idiom comes from the early days of aviation. Aircraft initially had few navigation aids and flying was accomplished by means of the pilot's judgment. As the plane responded to the pilots actions at the controls, the pilot could feel that response at the largest point of contact between himself and the plane: the seat of his pants. The term emerged in the 1930s and was first widely used in reports of Douglas Corrigan's flight from the USA to Ireland in 1938.

Cave In and Loaded For Bear.

2011-02-25T22:27:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Cave in, which has two meanings:
1- To collapse

The roof caved in because of the weight of the snow.

2-Stop resisting or refusing

The government has refused to cave in despite the protests and demonstrations.
He caved in to the urge to have a cigarette

Notes: Intransitive and inseparable in both instances of the definition. It is common to hear this phrase followed by the word, pressure. E.g., "cave into pressure".

Today's idiom is one of my favorites, Loaded For Bear, which means

To be prepared, mentally and/or physically, for extreme opposition; typically used in reference to an aggressive or potentially violent situation. To be aggressively seeking a confrontation; prepared for any contingency.

When the police responded to the reports of a men in body armor with AK-47s robbing a bank, they came loaded for bear.

I have 3 pages of notes to assist me with this presentation. I'm loaded for bear.

I bought a case a beer and order 5 pizzas for tonight's party. We're loaded for bear.

P-48 Thunderbolt loaded for bear over France

This idiom can sometimes mean to carry more equipment than necessary. To be overloaded. It can be used in a variety of ways meaning a person is equipped more than necessary for his/her prey.


	A woman "dresses up" with high heels, lipstick, new hair-do, perfume, etc. for club-hopping. "She's loaded for bear." A youth is going hunting for squirrel but takes his father's high-powered rifle and a shotgun. He's loaded for bear.

The phrase originates with American hunters and woodsmen in regions frequented by the brown bear. Brown bears are the largest land-based predator on earth, and when expecting to deal with them the hunters would bring much more powerful rifles than they would if hunting other game. Further, old muskets were loaded by pouring gunpowder down the barrel, followed by the shot. The power of a given charge could be adjusted by adding more or less gunpowder. When hunting large animals like bear, a large and powerful gunpowder charge would be loaded into the musket. Hence loaded for bear is to be hunting with a powerful charge ready.

Hammer Away At and Squeak By

2011-02-24T19:41:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal is Hammer Away At, which is somewhat idiomatic, and means
To work relentlessly

She hammered away at her PC all night and finished the project.
I need to hammer away at the phone until all the invitations for our party are made.

Notes: Inseparable

Today's idiom is Squeak By, which means
To make, to do or have just enough to survive

The student was able to squeak by and pay his rent by getting a part-time job.
The team just squeaked by their opponent in the last minute to win.


Just Squeaking by

Note: this idiom, which means for something "to be close" in the sense of "just making it", probably derives its meaning from the sound of glass being cleaned until it "squeaks".

Take It Out On and Up To One's Elbows In Alligators and

2011-02-21T19:55:00.000+08:00

Today's verbal phrase, Take It Out On, is somewhat longer phrase than usual and is rather idiomatic. It means
To abuse someone because you're angry

Whenever things go wrong, he always shouts and takes it out on me, even if I had nothing to do with the problem.
When he comes home from a bad day at work, he's the kind of person who takes it out on his wife, kids, and even his dog.

Notes:
Separable [obligatory]

Today's idiom is a particularly colorful and cute one, Up To One's Elbows in Alligators. It means
To be in a very difficult and unpleasant situation, usually where one is overwhelmed by pressure.

The cook said, "I'm up to my elbows in alligators here! The assistant chef is sick today and I can't keep up with the orders!

We'll be really up to our elbows in alligators if the boss finds out we made this mistake!

Note: as is apparent, this idiom has a humorous quality that sometimes makes a difficult situation a little better with its touch of humor. It is very similar to In The Soup, but it lacks the sense of messiness and chaos that the latter has. It needs to be pointed out that In The Soup has a more psychological aspect to it. When someone says "I'm in the soup", it can very well mean that they are deeply confused and struggling with life.

Pull Off and Pecking Order

2011-02-17T22:26:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal is Pull Off, which has three meanings
1) to manage to do something difficult or tricky.

No-one thought that she would be able to do it, but she pulled it off in the end.
I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to pull off paying my bills this month.

2)To start moving (vehicles)

When the lights turned green, the car pulled off.
Mary called out to Steve, who was in his car, that they needed milk, but he pulled off just at that moment.

3) To remove a part from something.

Robert pulled off the top of the box and poured some cereal
Oscar is a nasty little boy. He likes to pull the antennae off of snails.

Notes: the first meaning of Pull Off is separable. It is common to hear it as "pull it off". The second is intransitive and the third is transitive and separable.

Today's idiom is Pecking Order, which means
The order of importance or rank. Any hierarchical order, as among people in a particular group

The pecking order in the high school locker room clearly ran from the most muscular to the least.
The pecking order in my company runs from the boss and his secretary to the receptionist. She always has to follow whatever the secretary says, and I do whatever the receptionist tells me.

Note: Pecking order refers to how chickens establish dominance. Chickens can be quite vicious. If a chicken has a small wound with a spot of blood, it must be removed from the flock. Otherwise, it is in grave danger of being pecked to death by the others. "The famous study made by biologists W.C. Allee in the 1920s establishes that the pecking order among hens has a definite prestige pattern, hens, like many humans, freely peck at other hens below their rank and submit to pecking from those above them. Hens rarely peck at roosters in the barnyard, where the rooster is the cock of the walk, but it was widely believed in the 17th century that they often pulled feathers from roosters below them in the pecking order."

Draw On and In The Soup.

2011-02-16T19:03:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Draw On. This is a rather complex phrasal verb that that has three meanings, each of which I will my best to explain.

The first meaning is for time to pass, usually slowly

As the lesson drew on, the students started to get bored.

A secondary meaning to this is for time to unfold or, in some cases, to approach.

As evening draws on.

The second meaning is to extract something from a resource

He draws on his knowledge of Japanese history in this novel.
He drew on his faith to get him through that difficult time.

Draw on , in this case, is very similar to Draw from, of which I will provide an example.

She draws strength from her friends

The third meaning is
To inhale smoke from a cigarette, cigar, etc

He drew on his cigarette and coughed.

Notes:
Intransitive- Inseparable. Draw From, however, is Separable. The word "draw" is a very complex verb/noun and I highly recommend looking at it further: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/draw+on. Keep in mind that the word essentially means to pull, with the exception of its usage in the case a creating an image using an pen or pencil.

Today's idiom is In The Soup, which means

In a bad situation. (*Typically: be ~; get [into] ~.)

Experiencing a difficult situation

As soon as the airlines started to make a profit, they put themselves right back in the soup with a new round of mergers.

Now I'm really in the soup. I broke Mrs. Franklin's window.

I make a lot of mistakes. It's easy for me to get into the soup.

Usage notes: often used with right back, as in the first example. A variation of In The Soup is In The Stew, although I would say that In The Soup is more common. Also, it should be noted that a slang term used by sailors for the ocean is "soup".

Face Up To and Hang In There

2011-02-08T18:59:00.000+08:00

Today's verbal phrase is Face Up To, which means
To accept an unpleasant truth

Many people find it hard to face up to the fact that they are getting old.
He had to face up to the reality that he married the wrong person.

Notes: this is an inseparable verb. Further, this phrase is frequently followed by words "fact" or "reality"

Today's idiom is Hang In There, which means
To persevere despite difficulties; persist:

She hung in despite pressure to resign.
I told my friend to hang in there after he told me that his company was increasing his hours because they didn't want to hire more help.

Back Down and A Month of Sundays

2011-02-06T19:32:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal is Back Down, which means
To withdraw or retract your position or proposal in an argument
To withdraw or retreat from a position, opinion, or commitment.

She refused to back down and was fired.
The conservative party backed down from its opposition to the progressive legislation when it became clear that it was popular.

Note: this verb is Intransitive

Today's idiom is A Month of Sundays, which means
A very long time. A month of Sundays would be 28-31 Sundays running consecutively. It used to be that Sunday was the "day of rest". On this day you wouldn't have your regular job to do. Thus, even if one had nothing at all to do for a whole month, it still wouldn't get it finished. This phrase is often used negatively to mean that something, effectively, will never be done.

It took a month of Sundays for him to finally finish painting the kitchen
It will be a month of Sundays before I ever go to a party with her again.

Act On and Get Off On The Wrong Foot.

2011-02-04T22:34:00.000+08:00

Today's verbal phrase is Act On, which means
To take action because of information received
To carry further or advance;
To regulate one's behavior in accordance with certain information, ideas, or advice
.
The police were acting on a tip from an informer and caught the gang red-handed.
Can you act on this matter soon?
The American Founding Fathers acted on certain moral principles

This is an inseparable verb, meaning that the object cannot be inserted in between the verb and preposition. I will clarify this matter of whether the verbal phrase is separable or inseparable and transitive or intransitive in future posts. I've been forgetting to do this. I will begin correcting this matter for all previous posts that have lacked this important information also.

Today's idiom is "To Get Off On The Wrong Foot", which means
To make a bad start to a project or relationship.
To start an activity badly or in a way that is likely to fail

If I get off on the wrong foot with one of my paintings, I know it will never be right.

Holly's new secretary really got off on the wrong foot by being rude to visitors
I don't really know why, but somehow Clare and I got off on the wrong foot.

Of course, there is an obvious opposite to this expression: you can also "get off on the right foot" at the beginning of a relationship or activity.

Iron Out and Feather In One's Cap

2011-02-03T20:48:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is iron out, which means
To remove small problems or irregularities. To settle through discussion or compromise. It is similar to the phrasal verb, work out.

The management team ironed out the tax problems before they gave the project the OK.
The lawyers ironed out the final details of the contract during a long meeting.
The baseball pitcher ironed out the problem with his curve ball.
I'm ironing out the wrinkles of what is slowing my computer down.

This expression, iron out, is often followed by the nouns "wrinkles" or "kinks".

Today's idiom is a feather in one's cap, which means
An accomplishment; particularly one that is boasted of or bragged.
An act or deed to one's credit; a distinctive achievement.
A symbol of honor and achievement.

He thinks it is quite a feather in his cap that he figured it out for himself.
It's a feather in your cap that you received the highest grade on the test.

The placing of a feather in a hat has been a symbol of achievement that has arisen in several cultures, apparently independently.The Native American tradition of adding a feather to the head-dress of any warrior who performed a brave act is well-known.

Ache For and Force To Be Reckoned With

2011-01-29T21:17:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is ache for. It means,
Want something or someone a lot.

My partner's been away for two weeks- I am aching for her.
I'm aching for a good night's rest

Today's idiom is force to be reckoned with, which means
Someone or something that is important and powerful and must not be ignored.

Walter is a force to be reckoned with. Be prepared to deal with him.
The growing discontent with the political system is a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Just to be generous I'll provide you the meaning of the word "reckon" and will explain some of its finer points for you. Reckon means

To count or compute: reckon the cost.

To consider as being; regard as.

Informal To think or assume.

I reckon that we'll have to leave early.

Do you reckon you'll be able to go to the grocery store after work?

We'll have to leave early, I reckon.

They reckoned that they would reach their destination by noon.

Losses were reckoned to be over a million dollars.

An important use of this word is as a noun, reckoning.

The act or an instance of reckoning: as a : account, bill b : computation c : calculation of a ship's position (called dead reckoning. Dead in this instance means "exact").

A settling of accounts, ex., "day of reckoning" (an idiom that means "final judgment", as in a soul's judgment at death).

A summing up

I was more than $10 off in my reckoning.

When the day of reckoning comes, we will have to face some unpleasant truths.

Our football team hardly comes into the reckoning. (The team is no longer competitive and not eligible for post-season playoffs).

Because of his injury, he is out of the reckoning. (not considered as an actuality or option).

The team is still in the reckoning.(a possible place in the post-season).

This word, reckon, as mentioned in the dictionary definition, is regarded as informal speech and is sometimes regarded as dialect. That is, it's often used by rural speakers to mean "compute". (Because it is used by rural speakers more than urban ones it is listed as dialect in some dictionaries). Also, it is more commonly used to mean the same thing as "consider" in the countryside. You'll often here this word in the movies whenever you see a story set in the past that has characters that are country folk. American westerns are a good example of this. Cowboys in the movies say it all the time. However, this is not mean that reckon is not a useful word that is still alive and in common, daily usage. It is. Try using it today.

Wolf Down, Voracious and Cheap Shot

2011-01-27T22:27:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is Wolf Down. It is somewhat idiomatic also. It means:

To consume (food) quickly and without regard for table manners.

He wolfed down a ham sandwich.

He wolfed down a huge breakfast of 6 eggs, 4 pieces of toast and a dozen strips of bacon, then he finished a whole melon. All while drinking a quart of orange juice, and he did in just a few minutes!

to wolf down (third-person singular simple present wolfs down, present participle wolfing down, simple past and past participle wolfed down)

This entry is in conjunction with a previous post for the expression, inhale (see Jan. 23rd's entry), which brings us to our next word, voracious, which means:
Wanting or devouring great quantities of food.
Having a great appetite for anything

My nephew is voracious. I'm sure he could win an eating contest!

Every time I see him, he has a book open. He's a a voracious reader.

Today's idiom is cheap shot, which means
An unnecessarily aggressive and unfair remark directed at a defenseless person
An illegal and unsportsmanlike act of unnecessary violence in contact sports.

In front of everyone in the office, he said that Steve's suit looked cheap. It may be true, but it was a cheap shot.

The player was running down the field when suddenly he was given a cheap shot by an opponent from behind. The referee's never saw it!

Just after the bell rang to end the boxing round, one fighter cheap shot the other as he was walking away toward his corner.

Use up and Rhetoric

2011-01-24T18:22:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is to use up, which means

To consume or finish all of something.

We used up all the dish washing soap.

He used up his frequent flyer miles to take a free trip.

This phrase is often followed by the word "all".

The word for the day is Rhetoric, which means

1. persuasive speech or writing: speech or writing that communicates its point persuasively

2. pretentious words: complex or elaborate language that only succeeds in sounding pretentious

3.* empty talk: fine-sounding but insincere or empty language

4. skill with language: the ability to use language effectively, especially to persuade or influence people

5. study of writing or speaking effectively: the study of methods employed to write or speak effectively and persuasively

[14th century. Via Old French rethorique< Greek rhētorikē (tekhnē) "(art) of public speaking" < rhētor "speaker"]

He studied rhetoric in college.

The mayor's promise to fight drugs was just rhetoric, since there was no money in the city budget for a drug program.

The media almost never discuss what the sweeping dismantling of public services inherent in the rhetoric of the anti-government movement would mean in practice.

*This word is mostly used in a negative sense, as explained in definition 3 above. I would add that it can sometimes be a synonym for propaganda.

The Chinese government's talk of the improvement of political conditions for free speech is simply rhetoric.

Pay through the nose and Inhale (slang)

2011-01-23T23:46:00.000+08:00

Today's idiom is pay through the nose

To pay through the nose is to pay an extremely high price for something.

You're going to pay through the nose if you take a taxi to the airport in Japan.

I paid through the nose to buy this guitar. It's a rare, old one.

There are a couple of possible origins for this odd expression. They go as follows. As early as the 17th century "rhino" was slang for money; "Rhinos" is Greek for "nose". Noses bleed and someone who pays over the odds can also be said to bleed.
The other explanation goes back to the days of the Danish invasion of Britain. 9th century Danes were particularly strict with their tax laws, especially where "foreigners" were concerned. They levied a particular tax against the Irish called the "Nose Tax"; failure to pay was met by harsh punishment - the debtor had his nose slit open. The expression only seems to have come into English at the end of the 17th century so the first one is most
likely the correct origin.

Today's slang is inhale. It means

To eat something quickly

I inhaled the chocolate my girlfriend gave me for Valentine's Day!

The children inhaled the cookies.

Ease off and Go through the motions

2011-01-22T21:37:00.001+08:00

Today’s phrasal verb is ease off. It has two meanings:

To reduce pressure

She eased off of the accelerator to let the car slow down.

To decrease in size, extent, or range

The amount of homework eased off towards the end of the semester

Ease off of the ice cream and candy or you’ll get fatter.

Senate sponsors have eased off a bill aimed at cracking down on online piracy after an outcry from Internet engineers who say the proposal would effectively censor the Web.

Often this phrasal is used to express a reduction in desire, as in the third and fourth examples.

The idiom for the day is go through the motions, which means

To make a feeble effort to do something; to do something insincerely or in cursory fashion.

Jane isn't doing her best. She's just going through the motions.

Bill was supposed to be raking the yard, but he was just going through the motions.

The team had a very losing record and just went through the motions during the last game of the season.

Die Down and Eschew

2011-01-16T20:56:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal verb is die down, which means:
To decrease or become quiet

Although it was on the front page for several days, interest in the matter eventually died down.

As the evening became late, the campfire died down.

I hope this noise from our neighbors dies down soon.

Today's word is eschew, which means:
To abstain from or avoid doing or using something, usually as a matter of principle or habit

People who live in big cities often eschew others on the street

Jews and Muslims eschew pork and other things that their religions consider "unclean"

The eschewal of responsibility is a symptom of immaturity. (noun form).

There was a bumper sticker in America that was popular not too long ago:

Eschew Obsfucation.

This is meant to be humorous in a very dry manner. Essentially it means, avoid being unclear and people who are unclear.

Big on and Rubbing it in

2011-01-13T20:44:00.000+08:00

Today's material consists of two idioms: to big on something and rubbing it in.

The first idiom, big on, means

Believing that something is good or important

He's very big on jazz.

She's not big on cooking.

This idiom probably has its origin in the phrase "to be a big fan ".

The second idiom, rubbing it in, means

To emphasize one's strengths or another's weaknesses in a manner that degrades another.

I know you're a better painter than I am, but you don't have to rub it in.

With his team ahead in the ninth inning by five runs, the baseball manager decided to rub it in some more by having one of his slowest runners steal second.

Today's study material: Take into Account and Kickstart

2011-01-12T20:02:00.000+08:00

Today's phrasal is take someone or something into account and take into account someone or something. It means:
To remember to consider someone or something when you are making a decision or a judgement.

I hope you'll take Bill and Bob into account when you plan the party.

I'll try to take into account all the things that are important in a situation like this.

I hope they'll take her age into account when they're judging her work. (often + that )

They took into account that he'd never been in trouble before.

Her book takes no account of (= does not consider) recent research carried out in America.

A variation of this is:
Take something into account and take something into consideration, which is similar in meaning but precisely means:
To consider something to be an important factor in some decision.

We will take your long years of service into account when we make our final decision.

You can be certain that we will take it into consideration.

Kickstart
This is a recent word, at least in its metaphorical sense, which is the second defintion, and would have to be considered slang. However, it's original meaning is:

1. to start (a motorcycle engine) by means of a pedal that is kicked downwards
2. Informal to make (something) active, functional, or productive again
n. an action or event resulting in the reactivation of something
n. kick-starter

My girlfriend helped me to kickstart this blog. It had been inactive for months before she suggested that I continue working on it.

The last example is actually a true statement about this blog. Ha!

Back Away

2011-01-11T15:22:00.001+08:00

Today’s phrasal is to back away, which means to

Retreat or go backwards. It can sometimes mean to shun or avoid, as in the last example I provide.

The crowd backed away when the man pulled a knife.

House Republicans are backing away from their pledge to cut $100 billion from the federal budget.

American journalists have backed away from Wikileaks founder, Nicholas Assange.

You will often here this phrasal in movies:
Put the gun down and back away from the girl

By the way, here is the definition of Shun:

to keep away from (a place, person, object, etc.), from motives of dislike, caution, etc.; take pains to avoid.