Idioms—phrases that come to mean more than each word's "literal meaning" on their own—have been a part of spoken language for a long time. They may change as the years go by and often vary from ...

Have you ever wondered why we say “God bless you” or “caught red-handed”? Despit​​e their simple meanings today, their ...

“Cat got your tongue” and other popular sayings are common in the English language. These and many other popular expressions are part of everyday life — yet most of us haven’t stopped to consider or ...

Many of us are trying nowadays to be more thoughtful and inclusive in the way we use language as our world becomes ever more diverse. But is it possible to take this stuff just a bit too far? Don't ...

“Right then, mate. I’ll meet you at the marsh just after sparrow-fart.” Or sparrowfarts, depending on whether the marsh is in Australia or the United Kingdom. Either way, it’s a common English idiom ...