Reader Opinions
Afreen – (Hobson’s choice) August 28, 2014
Like doctor prescription
Simon Best – (draw the line) August 5, 2014
One meaning of the idiom “to draw the line” concerned parish boundaries in England. This was important especially concerning the pre-1832 poor laws.
Some parishes strictly enforced these laws and prevented any outsiders from moving in. Outsiders or “sojourners” could work there during the day but had to leave the parish by days end.
Failure to do so could mean a spell in the stocks for 3 days with bread and water. The parish lines were exactly defined to avoid any disputes.
Santosh – (cat among the pigeons) March 10, 2014
I would like to add an example.
The minister’s remarks about godmen set the cat among the pigeons.
Rajeev – (dot the i’s and cross the t’s) February 18, 2014
My theory: the origin for only the two letters t and i is when proof reading writer’s manuscripts. Assume the word is ‘twitter’ and the t and i are not cross and dotted.
Fred L. Curry – (a drop in the ocean) January 22, 2014
In “Founding Myths, Stories That Hide out Patriotic past, Ray Raphael quotes George Washington saying to the Congress in September 1776 ‘The few who act upon the Principles of disinterestedness are, comparatively speaking, no more than a drop in the Ocean.’ citing Washington to John Hancock, September 24, 1776, in “The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript sources, John C. Fitzpatrick, ed. (Washington, DC: United States Government printing Office, 1931-1944), 6:107-108.
Khusan – (brownie points) December 12, 2013
Sara scored brownie points with her boss by volunteering to organize the company’s holiday party.
carol hall – (out of one’s depth) November 14, 2013
No. The meaning you have up there pertains to the idiom, “Out of one’s depth,” which means out of one’s league. i.e. I am out my depth in math. It is beyond my understanding.
There is a second idiom, “Out of the depths,” which means something rises out of something. For instance: Out of the depths of the Yangtze River in Central China, rises the Three Gorges Dam, over sixty stories high.
Branda English – (go bananas) August 8, 2013
Hmmmm, one more banana, idiom, lovely. 🙂
Idiom Guru – (cut both ways) August 8, 2013
Example given by a Facebook user on this Idiom:
Browsing Facebook cuts both ways, it makes us smarter, closer but lazy.
Perry – (in the can) July 5, 2013
Is this correct? If someone told me 70% of their work was in the can, I’d interpret “can” as “toilet”. Maybe I just use too much slang. lol
