Questions tagged [phrase-requests]
This tag is for questions seeking a phrase or an expression that fits a meaning. If you're specifically seeking only a single word, see the "single word requests" tag too.
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A term for the incapability of letting go of an idea until one has fully explored it
Is there a word or phrase that describes the following condition?
Once you have an idea, you are incapable of letting go of it until you have explored it fully, that is, explored every conceivable ...
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Bivouacs made by the homeless
I am just marking a private student's writing where he says
Reports of nightly anti-social behaviour, vandalism, and unregulated bivouacs under the porticoes create a hostile environment.
I had to ...
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What phrase means the opposite of what “no offence” means?
If “no offence” signals that you don’t intend to insult someone, what phrase would be used when you do intend to offend?
The phrase “no offence” is often used before or after a statement to soften its ...
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I want a Word for an intelligent person who is devious or evil [duplicate]
I'm looking for an existing word for someone quite intelligent, but uses their intelligence to plan how to take advantage of others, to get their acceptance of in an action or cooperation in putting a ...
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A journey with a “soft” goal?
Is there a word in English, or perhaps borrowed from some other language, that refers to a journey with a loose goal? The idea is that the journey has a purpose, but it’s OK if you don’t attain that ...
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What's the word for the common knowledge of a culture?
For example,
In the UK, some of Shakespeare's plays are part of the _____, because almost everyone has studied at least one Shakespeare play in school.
If you chose at random a British person, it is ...
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Is there a common use nonsense phrase used to flout an interlocutor? [closed]
In my mother tongue, there are a few, more or less recognized, nonsense phrases used to flout an interlocutor. They come from some context where a comedian mocks an authoritarian interlocutor (like an ...
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Describing the method of speaking where sentences are heavily punctuated by sharp inhalations
I'm trying to find a word or phrase to describe a particular way of speaking that is most often used in news reporting. It's a very deliberate effect (i.e. it's not because they're not sure what's ...
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Phrase request: Indirectly/unintentionally demotivate someone [duplicate]
In Hebrew, we have the phrase ריפה את ידיו, literally, "made his hands limp". When you are engaged in some endeavor or project, someone is said to "make your hands limp" if their ...
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What do you call a gift mug not really suitable for coffee?
Coffee lovers get a lot of mugs as gifts, not really suitable for coffee. They are not properly glazed, stain too easily, do not hold heat well; are not shaped ergonomically, e.g., too wide and ...
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Proceeding after an error is discovered
I am looking for a word that indicates an acceptance of a ruling by a referee or an umpire that lets the game proceed by accepting the post-error status. In sports, especially, a discovered error (...
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How to describe an adverse action irrespective of if it is violent or not
I want to describe an action by a group which is inimical in nature and has negative consequences for the society. Following is the context in which I want to use it:
There has been a concerted ...
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When you view a historical event with an incorrect modern lens
Is there a concise word or phrase for the fairly common (may have always been common) fallacy to think about a historical event, but without the historical cultural context, but instead viewing the ...
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School is to a BMOC as a village/small town is to what? [closed]
In a small community, what do you call a man who stands out in terms of popularity, influence, and female attraction, and is therefore the local Casanova?
I'm trying to translate the French expression,...
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What do you call someone who habitually uses uncommon or non-routine synonyms for common words? [duplicate]
Over the years, I’ve noticed that improving one’s vocabulary involves not only learning new words but also exploring alternate ways to say familiar things.
This got me thinking:
MY QUESTION
Is there a ...
