Is there a term to describe the impression of a insect that is formed if the same is crushed between the pages of the book. Or the impression of a mosquito that is killed in between our palms. Answer I would call this a pressing. Pressing flowers between the pages of books has been a … Read more
(This is my first time on this forum, so I apologize in advance if I fail to articulate my query effectively or break site etiquette out of ignorance. I’ll endeavor to be as thorough as possible here because I feel as though my question might be quite obscure, so this post will likely be very … Read more
In Dutch there is the expression “Nee heb je, ja kan je krijgen.” This roughly means that being told “no” after asking for something is only as bad as never asking in the first place. Is there a more convenient English expression for this? Answer “There’s no harm in asking” is a very common phrase … Read more
I am looking for an indigenous English word for women who entertained guests at social gatherings in Britain. To put it simply, I am looking for an English analogue of geisha. Answer There is no British equivalent to geisha. ‘Polite’ social gatherings in the past would have been for gentlemen and ladies; they might have … Read more
What is an idiomatic way of saying that there is no reason to be honest just for the sake of being honest. That is, if you can benefit from a dishonest action and know that you definitely won’t suffer any financial, reputational, or other damage that outweighs the benefit, then you should act dishonestly. To … Read more
I’m trying to come up with (and coming up short) a term or expression that is used when one is simply moving a problem from one area to another (instead of solving it). Something similar to; robbing peter to pay paul … in the sense that it’s a zero-sum game, but speaking more to moving … Read more
What would be a clear and concise way to describe someone whose ambitions or aspirations far exceed his means or abilities? Answer “His reach exceeds his grasp.” This comes from Robert Browning’s poem ‘Andrea del Sarto‘ which contains the lines: Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for? AttributionSource … Read more
I want a fun and playful retort to use against someone who says “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”, which, according to the so-named Wikipedia1 article means: The squeaky wheel gets the grease is an American proverb used to convey the idea that the most noticeable (or loudest) problems are the ones most likely to … Read more
I am struggling to describe a process that is a bit harder than a piece of cake – meaning it will take a little bit of effort to figure it out but not that hard. Is there any phrase or slang that I could use to make this compact and understandable? Answer An idiomatic expression … Read more
Imagine this situation. A man finally achieves what he has been trying to achieve for long. When he gets the news, he is sitting in a restaurant. Elated, he asks the restaurant manager to serve all the customers whatever they want, and he will foot the bill for all. There is an expression to describe … Read more
