In Benton, which has a quota for abnormally intelligent—but not Jewish or Black—students, even the dissidents are abjectly conformist. Provincial and dull, it discourages publications by the professors, who advance their careers by spending sycophantic evenings with the deans. The unnamed Head ...
For example, ziqiangbuxi ( make unremitting efforts to improve oneself), qingchuyulan(bluer than indigo), and houjibofa (success comes with time and effort). Idioms are extrated from folk proverbs, ancient works of literature, poems, fables, allusions, and well-known sayings...
Those girls are just so tough and they never stop striving for their dream. Its a very inspirational story and I always get a little teary when I watch it. I think that the girls in that movie really encapsulate the spirit of the phrase "bring it on" -- they work so hard and have...
I know many people who move to Alaska, northern England or Scandinavia have a really hard time being shut up in their houses all winter, and the lack of sunshine just serves to exacerbate the condition. Some people try to cope by using sun lamps, but there's not a lot you can do if...
@uchiha - As the article says, idioms are used to expand on traditional language, kind of like the use of slang. Using imagery is a fun and often more effective way to describe a situation or a feeling than simply stating it. Take for example "cold as a witch's caress" -- this sim...
It's unsurprising that "ride hard and put away wet" is sometimes used with sexual connotation these days. It's bound to happen when people don't know about the origins of expressions and idioms and let their imagination run wild. It's also not as popular as it used to be. I used ...
I have used the expression "go south" quite a few times and it is interesting to read about its origins. I always wondering why it was used in such a pessimistic fashion. For some reason I always pictured a business graph with profits and the little line dropping down, down, down when...
This term has its origins in the Book of Genesis, in which Adam and Eve eat from the tree of knowledge despite being told not to and end up facing certain consequences. When people refer to “forbidden fruit,” it includes the suggestion that disregarding the proscription against it could ...
People who have a predisposition for thinking optimistic, idealistic thoughts may often have a pinkish tinge to their aura that they are constantly looking through at the world around them, similar to people "seeing red" or being "green with envy". ...
This phrase is familiar to me because I have heard my dad use it often. Whenever something happens that he is surprised at or never thought would see happen, it is not uncommon for him to say, "Well, blow me down". I have never given much thought to the origins of the saying as ...