Reader Opinions
Rain – (Pronouns) February 7, 2026
What’s the difference between reflexive and emphatic pronouns, because I don’t see much difference between them. Please make me understand.
Thank you.
Paddysnr – (come hell or high water) February 3, 2026
It is believed by some that once in hell there is no way out.
Also if the water is extremely high one cannot pass through.
Determination to achieve is indicated, in that, both of these seemingly impossible tasks will be overcome regardless.
Anonymous – (face the music) January 30, 2026
“Face the music” gangsters kept guns in violin cases”?
Nathan – (on the other hand) January 23, 2026
As far as the origin of this phrase, there are earlier uses of it:
Romans 7:25 – “So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”
Anonymous – (so long) January 14, 2026
I wonder if there is any connection with the Scottish “Auld Lang Syne” (“old long since”), other than they both contain a version of the word “long” of course.
Tabbbinski – (chop chop) January 10, 2026
Though in modern usage it’s often delivered humorously, it tends to carry racist overtones of the white master ordering his Asian underlings to hurry up.
Steve – (I could eat a horse) January 7, 2026
It was a fairly common thing in warfare throughout history that horses, at most times were useful for transport, when food ran low(i.e. during a siege) would eventually be eaten rather than the soldiers starve. If this is the origin then it probably goes back further.
Frederick Zirin – (line in the sand) December 22, 2025
This incident had to do with the Seleucid King Antiochus IV who wanted to invade Egypt, a Ptolemaic country and Roman protectorate. Popillius drew the line in the sand and essentially threatened war from Rome if Antiochus dared to cross the line. As a result, he retreated and went up through Israel and caused what happened as Hanukkah when he desecrated the temple in Jerusalem and replaced the Jewish high priest with Menelaus, a semi-Greek adherent. With decreeing a forbidding of practicing the Jewish faith, he set up his own defeat by the Jews who had the determination to win. Cleansing and then rededicating the Temple became a minor holiday that we celebrate today.
John – (cat’s pajamas) December 21, 2025
Well, aren’t you the cat’s pajamas? Means “So you must think you’re really special!”
If I say, “I got this great deal for $85”, and you say, “Well I found the same thing on E-Bay for $40”, then I might say, sarcastically, “Well aren’t you the cat’s pajamas!”
Sean – (mull over) December 17, 2025
The use of “mull” and variations (both nouns and verbs) is much older. Scottish-English words for mull can be found in the “Dictionaries of the Scots Language.” There are a number of pre and post 1700 usages for the word that may have evolved into the more modern usage.
