Families are, for better or worse, a big part of culture. Millions of books, films, and scholars have analyzed family relationships in some way and it permeates our vocabulary. We are going to see 5 idioms that include words related to family and their meaning. Bob’s your uncle This funny idiom is part of British …
Some time ago, we talked about the expression “raining cats and dogs” (if you don’t remember, click here). Today, we are going to talk about other expressions related to the weather. Are you ready? Get wind of something To get wind of something means to hear a rumor, to discover information through unofficial channels, or …
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We have previously talked about the origin of names and nicknames in our blog. However, we were curious about the names of countries. Who gave the name to Zambia, Iraq or Paraguay? We are taking a deep dive! Zambia and Zimbabwe Like many other names, it comes from the geographical accidents in the area. In …
‘Tis the season: holidays, parties and feasts. Music can improve the atmosphere, but food is the focus of all gatherings (at least in Spain!). So what better to get into the festive spirit than to learn some expressions with food? The apple of one’s eye Source: https://grammarist.com/idiom/the-apple-of-ones-eye/#:~:text=The%20phrase%20the%20apple%20of,pupil%20of%20the%20human%20eye If you have been told that you are …
3 expressions with food for the christmas feasts Read More »
Most of us have been called or have called others silly, daft, dumb, cretin or something similar in our lives. As much as we know the general meaning of these words, it is normal to not pay attention to the nuances of each insult. Much less know the origin of each of these words. But …
Have you ever looked up your birthstone and wondered where it came from? Well, we certainly did, but we were even more curious about the origin of the name of some gems. Garnet If you were born in January, you are probably familiar with this stone. Red in color, the meaning of garnet makes sense, …
Animals are a big part of life on Earth and, since the beginning of times, it has been reflected in language. From cave paintings to modern English, people have included animals in phrases, expressions and idioms. Let’s take a look at some! To kill two birds with one stone Source: https://www.theidioms.com/kill-two-birds-with-one-stone/ If you achieve two …
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It’s October and the spooky season is setting in. Maybe we exaggerated a bit, they are not bad words as in swearing, but they are two pretty negative adjectives. Today, we bring you the curious origins of “nasty” and “sinister”. Sinister Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/sinister-left-dexter-right-history Sinister mainly means having an evil appearance or looking likely to cause …
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English idiomatic expressions can be over my head: if they are read literally, they make no sense. However, they can make sense if you know their origin (or if you make up its origin to fit the meaning). We have compiled 3 expressions with body parts with their meaning, a fake origin and their real …
True or false? The origin of 3 expressions with the body Read More »
