Tag: bottom line
Go under
WotD: Go under In the world of idiomatic expressions, go under has multiple meanings and uses. It can primarily refer to sinking below the surface of water, as when we say, “The Titanic began to go under after hitting an iceberg.” However, it also has a metaphorical usage, meaning financial failure or collapse. Understanding this usage…
Presenteeism
WotD: Presenteeism Presenteeism is a phenomenon that is increasingly discussed in the modern workplace. It refers to employees being required or expected to come to work despite being ill, injured, or mentally unwell. Instead of taking the necessary time off to recover, employees are physically present but not fully functional. While presenteeism may seem like…
Timing is everything
Proverb: Timing is everything Timing is everything. There is no such thing as an overnight success. Success is the result of hard work, perseverance, and taking advantage of opportunities when they come along. Simply put, timing is everything refers to the idea that success in life often depends on being in the right place at…
Different kettle of fish
Idiom: Different kettle of fish I have a strange idiom for you today. Many phrases and expressions in English need to be clarified and are almost impossible to understand if you try to figure them out based on the words alone. Well, a different kettle of fish could drive you crazy. I vividly remember trying…
Close to home
Phrase: Close to home In the West, we perceive many world happenings as occurring over there. ‘There’ being anywhere that is not the West. Events are starting to hit close to home. When something affects you personally or deeply, it hits close to home. We have either denied or ignored climate change for a long…
Scapegoat
Word of the Day: Scapegoat Whatever happened to the good old days when people took responsibility for their actions? I don’t think they ever existed. It’s human nature to pass the buck onto the closest person and make them the scapegoat. A scapegoat, you see, is the person we make shoulder the blame for our…
The camera doesn't lie
English Proverb: The camera doesn’t lie Halloween is over, but I’d still like to scare your socks off today. We have entered the video era when everyone and their dog is posting videos to Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo and TikTok, among others. The thing is, though, that the camera doesn’t lie unless, of course, you want…
Tell tales out of school
English Phrase: Tell tales out of school We’ll start with the bottom line today. Everyone loves a bit of gossip, but nobody likes it when you tell tales out of school about them. That’s the truth of it. To tell tales out of school means to participate in spreading gossip, secrets, lies or rumours about…
Foolhardy
Word of the Day: Foolhardy There’s a limit to everything. The problem is some people always have to push things too far. That’s the difference between being brave and foolhardy. A brave person doesn’t show fear when faced with a dangerous situation. They do, however, show caution. Brave people hope for the best but prepare…
Left holding the bag
Phrase: Left holding the bag Have you ever had the responsibility for something unceremoniously dumped on you? If you have, you know how it feels to be left holding the bag. If you know what I mean, things like that tend to happen to people further down the totem pole. To be clear, when you’re…
