Cliche Finder Have you been searching for just the right cliché to use? Are you searching for a cliché using the word "cat" or "day" but haven't been able to come up with one? Just enter any words in the form below, and this search engine will return any clichés which use that phrase... Over 3,300 clichés indexed! What exactly is a cliche? This is Morgan, creator of the Cliche Finder. Or, you might like my crazy passion project: Spanish for Nerds: Learning Spanish via Etymologies! Back to cliches... if you would like to see some other Web sites about clichés? © S. Special thanks to Damien LeriAnd to Mike Senter Morgan's Web page
25 Synonyms for Story by Mark Nichol So, you’re writing a story? What kind of story? No, don’t unreel the plot for me. Provide some context for the narrative style by telling me what your model is for your tale. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19: Record: (see annals) 20: Roman a clef (French, “novel with a key”): a story with thinly disguised versions of actual characters and events 21: Short story: a tale shorter than a novel, featuring relatively few characters and focusing less on plot than on mood 22: Short short story: an especially brief story 23: Tall tale: a story intended to entertain through the introduction of exaggerated elements 24: Urban legend/urban myth: a moralistic or sensational story presented and widely perceived as fact 25: Yarn: a story that is adventurous or humorous or both, and perhaps is a tall tale (see “tall tale,” above)
IdiomSite.com - Find out the meanings of common sayings 40 Synonyms for Praise by Mark Nichol Last week, I offered a list of synonyms for the word criticize. To avert criticism (admonishment, censure, chastising, and so on), I offer here a roster of synonyms for its antonym, praise, in that word’s verb form as well as when it’s used as a noun. 1. Acclaim: To applaud or praise; also a noun referring to the action of applause or cheering. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
Idioms – as clear as mud? Miranda Steel is a freelance ELT lexicographer and editor. She has worked as a Senior Editor for dictionaries for learners at OUP and has also worked for COBUILD. In this post, she looks at some of the weird and wonderful idioms in the English language. Idioms are commonly used in spoken and written English. They add colour and interest to what we are saying. Native English speakers are usually confident that their readers or listeners will recognize the idiom, so well-known phrases rarely need to be given in full. Some idioms can be shortened in other ways such as long story short (to cut a long story short). “Anyway, long story short, it turns out Drake isn’t really his father.” Sometimes only a fragment of the original idiom remains. Another common way of changing an idiom is to reverse its meaning. Many idioms are very versatile and can be changed in a variety of ways. “Why use a stick when a carrot will work better?” “Their approach is all stick and no carrot.” Like this:
55 Synonyms for Courage by Mark Nichol Courage comes in many varieties, often identified by distinct synonyms. Some terms refer to determination more than bravery, but the two qualities are intertwined. Here’s a roster of the valiant vocabulary: 1-2. Adventuresomeness: Like many words on this list, this one is encumbered by the suffix -ness, but it and its nearly identical-looking and somewhat less clumsy synonym adventurousness convey a connotation of a flair for undertaking risky or dangerous enterprises. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12-13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21-22. 23. 24. 25. 26-27. 28. 29. 30. 31-32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41-43. 44. 45. 46. 47-48. 49. 50-51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
French Words and Expressions in English Updated October 16, 2015. Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of French words and expressions. Some of this vocabulary has been so completely absorbed by English that speakers might not realize its origins. Other words and expressions have retained their "Frenchness" - a certain je ne sais quoi which speakers tend to be much more aware of (although this awareness does not usually extend to actually pronouncing the word in French). The following is a list of French words and expressions which are commonly used in English. The literal English translation is provided in quotation marks and followed by an explanation. adieu "until God" Used like "farewell": when you don't expect to see the person again until God (when you die and go to Heaven) agent provocateur "provocative agent" A person who attempts to provoke suspected individuals or groups into committing unlawful acts aide-mémoire "memory aid" 1. allée "alley, avenue" A path or walkway lined with trees
25 Synonyms for Expression by Mark Nichol Many words can be employed to refer to an expression. Most, as you’ll see, are true synonyms of one or more others, but a few have specific (and sometimes unique) connotations. Here are the synonyms and their senses: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. a word a day A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg We equate French with sophistication and when we import French words into English, we look at them with rose-colored glasses. We often give them special meanings. In French, concubin/concubine are simply people living together. In English, a concubine has a more specialized sense: a mistress. This week we'll feature five terms from French that relate to love, lust, and sex. risque or risqué (ri-SKAY) adjective: Bordering on indelicacy or impropriety, especially in a sexually suggestive manner. From Fremch risqué (risky), past participle of risquer (to risk). "A woman who was fired from her job at a NY lingerie business says she was fired because her employer complained her work attire was too risque." "The normally pristine Senator Evan Bayh made a risqué joke about a fellow Indianan from a town called French Lick."