Reader Opinions
Aman Kumar – (leave no stone unturned) April 19, 2018
Origin is very important to remember an idiom and this is quite interesting.
Still Confused – (wag the dog) April 17, 2018
With all of these examples, add But what actions are taken to divert?
“I had to wag the dog so that he does not find out where I had actually gone this afternoon”. What actions is this person doing that is considered wagging the dog? This would make the definition more clear, no?
“The prime minister keeps wagging the dog to keep people from finding out about the scam”. Isn’t knowing what specific action the prime minister took important in making clear what WTD is?
Shouldn’t it be – “The prime minister created a unnecessary war to distract the public from actually finding out about the scam. Going into a unnecessary war is an example of WTD.”
#5 is especially confusing and vague. What the heck is the management actually doing (when it comes to the sales dept) that is considered wagging the dog in this example?
Oxford – (die in harness) April 12, 2018
The word “harness” was originally used for the defensive or body armour of a man-at-arms or foot-soldier and all the defensive equipment of an armed horseman, for both man and horse. The OED cites this usage back to the 14th century and it remained in common usage for centuries. The KJV bible uses it in that sense eg 1 Kings Ch 20 v11 “Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off”. 2 Maccabees Ch 15 v 11 (moved by the compilers of the KJV from the main cannon to the Apocrypha, following Luther) gives us the saying directly: “they knew that Nicanor lay dead in his harness.” Shakespeare uses it the same – “Blow, wind! Come, wrack!/At least we’ll die with harness on our back” (Macbeth V.v.51) and over time the phrase widened its usage from purely combat to the general sense of dying ‘in service’ or ‘on the job’. It does not make reference to, or derive from, the qualities of horses.
Surbhi Singla – (cock and bull story) April 9, 2018
These sentences and meanings helped me a lot in enhancing my knowledge.
Ira – (raining cats and dogs) April 5, 2018
Please can anyone tell a story on it 😕
Clara – (best thing since sliced bread) April 2, 2018
I remember making up this phrase, “the best thing since sliced bread”. I remember where I was and what I was doing at the time.
I also remember people around me thinking it was at the time a strange thing to say.
Now I’m doubting everything I read thinking people just make things up if they don’t know the real answer to it.
I’ve made up many phrases that I’ve heard many times much later on in life.
Clyde – (raining cats and dogs) April 1, 2018
It really is. Heavy rains especially in the Philippines feels like there are cats and dogs playing catching game above the roofs. So yeah.
Aint Paul – (at the same time) March 30, 2018
Most of these don’t fit the definition of idiom. They are literal expressions, meaning is easily deduced. A better synonym for the ones that are idiom is “alternatively”.
Having said that, there is another usage not brought up, “Let’s meet at the same time next week”. Still literal but …different from the others.
Mazzy – (face the music) March 30, 2018
Can anyone tell me what figure speech this is? “It was time to face the music.”
Kashish – (the best of both worlds) March 29, 2018
Great it helps in understanding and these sentences are so well made that these do not need any picture.
