Idiom of the Day
- take a breathTo inhale and then exhale. Watch the video
- take a bawling outTo receive a very severe rebuke, chastisement, or scolding (from someone). Watch the video
Word of the Day
- gallimaufryDefinition: (noun) A jumble; a hodgepodge. Synonyms: patchwork, melange, ragbag. Usage: Inside the chest, he found a gaudy gallimaufry of old dresses, feathers, and sequins. Discuss
- trystDefinition: (noun) An agreement, as between lovers, to meet at a certain time and place. Synonyms: assignation, rendezvous. Usage: They tried to keep their weekly meetings a secret, but soon neighbors began to whisper about their trysts.
Word Origins
- surroundedinvolve - First meant "enfold, surround, wrap." More...enclave, exclave - An enclave is a group or area different from the surroundings, a secured area within another secured area, from Latin clavis, "key"; an exclave is the same thing, but usually describes a portion of a country separated from the main part and surrounded by politically […]
- scentbreath - From an Old English word meaning "scent, smell." More...flair - Comes from Latin fragrare, "smell sweet," and was first the ability to detect the "essence" or "scent" of something and know how to act accordingly. More...red herring - Something intended to be misleading or distracting, so named from the practice of using the […]
- presencehoodoo - A person who practices voodoo; the word also describes a person or thing whose presence is supposed to bring bad luck. More...al fresco - Implies the presence of some nearby structure (one does not hike al fresco). More...pyrosis - Heartburn is actually pyrosis, caused by the presence of gastric secretions, called reflux, in […]