Idiom of the Day
- color outside the linesTo think or act in a way that does not conform to set rules. Likened to the way a child might color outside the lines of a coloring book. Watch the video
- collect (one's) thoughtsTo pause and think before speaking or taking action. Watch the video
Word of the Day
- remodelDefinition: (verb) Do over, as of (part of) a house. Synonyms: redo, reconstruct. Usage: We were on a tight budget and bought the fixer-upper knowing that it would take us years to completely remodel the house. Discuss
- calqueDefinition: (noun) An expression introduced into one language by translating it from another language. Synonyms: loan translation. Usage: "Superman" is a calque for the German "Ubermensch."
Word Origins
- puzzlerebus - A puzzle in which one must decode a message consisting of pictures representing syllables and words. More...puzzle - Comes from Old French opposaile, "thing set before one," "bewildering thing"; as a verb, it first meant "be beset by difficulties." More...cabobble - To mystify, puzzle, or confuse. More...word search - A puzzle consisting of […]
- swimmingenatation - Escape by swimming. More...butterfly stroke - In swimming, the stroke in which both arms are raised out of the water and lifted forward together. More...shoal - A synonym for "school," referring to a large number of fish swimming together. More...supernatant - Means "swimming on the surface." More...
- science fictiondroid - A robot in science fiction, it is a shortening of android. More...death ray - Was a staple of (pulp) science fiction in the mid-20th century. More...time warp - A concept that arose in the 1950s and originally applied to science fiction. More...warp speed - Alludes to the use in science fiction, especially the […]