While cats may be more enigmatic and reclusive than dogs in real life, when it comes to the source of the word cat, it’s a bit easier to grasp. The origin of the word dog is one of the great mysteries of English etymology. Learn why in our slideshow “‘Dog,’‘Boy,’ And Other...
The meaning of an idiom is different from the actual meaning of the words used. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a proverb. Proverbs are old but familiar sayings that usually give advice. Both idioms and proverbs are part of our daily expressions. Many are very old and have...
Cat and mouse, often expressed as cat-and-mouse game, is an English-language idiom that means "a contrived action involving constant pursuit, near captures, and repeated escapes." The "cat" is unable to secure a definitive victory over the "mouse", who despite not being able to defeat the...
Ifyousay, "T hecat'soutofthebag" insteadof"T hesecretis givenaway,"you'reusinganidiom. T hemeaningofanidiomisdifferent fromthe actualm eaningofthewordsused.“Anappleadaykeepsthedo ctoraway” isaproverb.Proverbsareoldbut familiar sayingsthatusuallygiveadvice. Bothidiomsandpro verbsarepartofour...
If you say, “The cat’s out of the bag instead of “The secret is given away, you’re using an idiom. The meaning of an idiom is different from the actual meaning of the words used. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away is a proverb. Proverbs are old b
Arbuthnot was a man of great comprehension, skilful in his profession, versed in the sciences, acquainted with ancient literature, and able to animate his mass of knowledge by a bright and active imagination; a scholar with great brilliance of wit; a wit who, in the crowd of life, retained...
… [T]he word “logic” has a broad meaning, and is not restricted exclusively to the science of argumentative reasoning. [It includes] Grammar [which] is “the science of speaking and writing correctly—the starting point of all liberal studies.” ...
” To him, half days is a literal term meaning twelve hours a day. When most of us are done for after only nine or ten hours, he was just starting what he called his “second shift.” Very few of us have the stamina, initiative and especially the passion for what we do to work ...
playing with fire. Another allusion to feline ferocity and bravery gives the ancient saying: "One day as a tiger is worth a thousand years as a sheep" meaning it is better to distinguish oneself through a brave act (and risk death) than to live meekly and in obscurity you whole life. ...
(the monkey) doing something like “making cat’s eyes with a mirror”, which, after some thought, I understood as meaning “reflecting light from the mirror onto various surfaces”. However, later editions of the same book changed the wording, and the current text reads (more vaguely, I ...