Author Archives: Dicoz

27 Jan. What does it mean if someone is feeling “out of sorts?”

This is an English expression which is very commonly used in conversation. A person never wants to be feeling “out of sorts” but it is important to know when it is suitable to use it!

Meaning

The phrase is most commonly used in response to the question “how are you?” It is used to express the fact that someone is feeling not quite right. It can relate to either mental or physical health and does not suggest an extreme illness, rather a mild problem. Another expression which can be used to express a similar feeling is “under the weather.”

Etymology

It is widely believed that the expression dates to the 17th century and to the act of typesetting. The “sorts” were the letters used by the typesetter and thus if the blocks were “out of sorts” this would not make the typesetter happy as they would no longer be able to complete their work.

Example

An example of the use of the expression can be found in a quote from Samuel Beckett which reads “I was out of sorts. They are deep, my sorts, a deep ditch, and I am not often out of them.”

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Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”

publié le 4 June

Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...

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What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”

publié le 2 June

The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...

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Is it a good thing to “kill time?”

publié le 2 June

This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...

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26 Jan. When should I use the English phrase “as easy as pie?”

This English expression is often used in informal settings. To learn when to use it and what it means, keep reading!

Meaning

The expression is used in order to denote that something is extremely easy. It can be used interchangeably with another commonly used English idiom “a piece of cake.”

Etymology

The use of the word pie in such a way derives from America during the 19th century. The first recorded use of the word pie in a metaphorical sense dates to the year 1855 in Which: Right or Left? which reads “for nearly a week afterwards, the domestics observed significantly to each other, that Miss Isabella was as ‘nice as pie!’”

The first use of the exact phrase “as easy as pie” originates from Australia in the 1920s. It is unclear exactly why pie is used as being synonymous with easy as for example, the cat of making a pie from scratch is not a particularly easy one but some people suggest it relates to the ease of slicing a pie.

Example

An example of the idiom in use can be found in a quote by animator, Doug Tennapel which reads “making modern games funny would be easy as pie if it was anybody’s goal to actually make a funny game.”

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Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”

publié le 4 June

Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...

voir plus

What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”

publié le 2 June

The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...

voir plus

Is it a good thing to “kill time?”

publié le 2 June

This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...

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6 Jan. What does the expression “to sleep tight” mean?

This is a very frequently used English expression which is used across many English speaking countries. If you would like to learn how to use this expression currently then keep reading!

Meaning

The expression is used in order to denote that someone has slept well. Oftentimes someone will say “sleep tight” to someone before they go to bed in order to wish them a good sleep.

Etymology

The expression was first used in1866 in the diaries entitled Through Some Eventful Years by Susan Bradford Eppes which read “”All is ready and we leave as soon as breakfast is over. Goodbye little Diary. ‘Sleep tight and wake bright,’ for I will need you when I return.” However it was in the latter half of the 20th century that it was popularised when it was used in song lyrics by The Beatles. This was in the song Good Night in 1968, the lyrics of which read “Now it’s time to say good night, Good night. Sleep tight.”

The use of the word “tight” in the expression has a number of possible significances. Some argue that it relates to the bedcovers and the act of keeping them tight in order to avoid bedbugs entering the bed. On the other hand, others argue that the word “tight” is synonymous with “sound” and thus the expression simply means “sleep soundly.”

Example

An example of the expression in use can be found in the commonplace expression “sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite!” This is a phrase which is often uttered to children before going bed in order to urge them to remain in their beds and to wish them a good sleep.

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Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”

publié le 4 June

Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...

voir plus

What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”

publié le 2 June

The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...

voir plus

Is it a good thing to “kill time?”

publié le 2 June

This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...

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6 . What does it mean to be “the new kid on the block?”

This English idiom is used principally in the United States and is less frequently heard in other English speaking countries. To find out more about when is appropriate to use it and where it comes from, keep reading!

Meaning

The expression is used in order to describe a new arrival. It generally relates to a young person who would be described as “the new kid on the block” if they have just moved to a new neighbourhood or school.

Etymology

The expression has it’s origin in the United States. It was first used in the 1940s in the Skippy cartoon comic book which reads “The new kid on the block told me that the next time he saw you he was goin’ to twist your nose.”

Since this first usage the expression has been widely used. However, it is a very informal expression and therefore it is more commonly used in conversational language and less often found in written texts.

Example

An example of the expression in use can be found in the title of a 2015 New York Times article. The article is titled “In Curry Hill, A New Kid on the Block.” In this article the expression is used less literally to express the opening of a new restaurant. This is another way in which the expression can be used in a more abstract fashion.

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Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”

publié le 4 June

Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...

voir plus

What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”

publié le 2 June

The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...

voir plus

Is it a good thing to “kill time?”

publié le 2 June

This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...

voir plus