From six yards to nine: how idioms originate
In mid-January I asked my bookkeeper for an updated statement of my account. I wanted to look at my Dec/Jan financial affairs to prepare myself for 2020. What he sent…
Best thing since sliced bread: how idioms are formed
Last week, I decided I was tired of egg and toast for breakfast, so I ate muesli for five days. This week I ran out of bread and it would…
Picture by Stijn te Strake - Unsplash
Waiting for the cows to come home: Origin of idioms
It seems that I have to wait for the cows to come home to get paid by some of my clients. In one instance, I have been waiting for more…
Three sheets to the wind: How idioms originate
Last week I had mentioned to my sister that I saw my aunt at a function and she was three sheets to the wind. This meant I could not give…
Picture by Eric Tompkins - Unsplash
Let them eat cake: How idioms originate
At a United Nations gender equality conference last week, one of the speakers who was trying to break through the gender disparity in our society used the phrase “bread and…
Picture by Sam Lee -Unsplash
Why are squibs damp? How idioms are formed
Last week, I set out to take part in a cyclethon which had all the promise of a thunderous event complete with disco lights, the hippest of DJs and an…
Idioms in the workplace
With the latest unemployment figures in South Africa at 29%, here’s a quick run down of some of the work-related idioms and how to use them. Learn the Ropes Meaning:…
Flying too close to the sun: how idioms originate
This week while sipping on a warm Coke Zero at lunch with a friend, we began to discuss the wonders of Greece. She reminded me of the fable of Icarus.…
Talking the hind legs off a donkey: How idioms originate
Last night while watching an excellent wildlife programme, I saw an antelope give birth, apparently a two-hour stint, to get the eager youngster out. While I was engrossed in the…
Last roll of the dice: how idioms are used
It’s all fair in love and war and friendship too. I felt I was losing ground with a friend and that we would soon be going our own separate ways,…
