Monthly Archives: November 2024

Idiom of the day

For the birds

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Meaning: This idiom means something is trivial, unimportant, or worthless.

Usage in Example Sentences:

  1. “I don’t want to spend my time on that project; it’s for the birds.”
  2. “She thought the new policy was for the birds and didn’t benefit anyone.”
  3. “I’ve had enough of his excuses—they’re for the birds.”

Origin: The phrase “for the birds” is believed to have originated in the United States in the mid-20th century, possibly stemming from the idea that small, insignificant things, like seeds or scraps, are only useful or appealing to birds. It’s a dismissive way of saying something isn’t worth time or attention.

For the birds
Idiom of the day

Brush up on

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Meaning: This idiom means to review, practice, or refresh one’s knowledge or skills in a particular subject, especially after some time away from it.

Usage in Example Sentences:

  1. “I need to brush up on my Spanish before the trip.”
  2. “She decided to brush up on her coding skills for the upcoming project.”
  3. “Before the exam, he brushed up on his math formulas.”

Origin: “Brush up on” originates from the 1800s. Originally, “brush” was used in the sense of cleaning or polishing something, and this idea extended metaphorically to refreshing or improving knowledge. The idiom became popular in English as a way to suggest “polishing” one’s understanding of a topic or skill.

Brush up on
Idiom of the day

Sitting ducks

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Meaning: This idiom refers to people or things that are vulnerable, unprotected, or easy targets.

Usage in Example Sentences:

  1. “Without any cover, the soldiers were sitting ducks for the enemy.”
  2. “With no security measures in place, the company’s data was sitting ducks for hackers.”
  3. “Walking through that dangerous area at night makes you a sitting duck for trouble.”

Origin: The phrase “sitting ducks” comes from hunting, where a duck sitting on water is an easy target because it can’t escape quickly. It became a popular way to describe situations or people who are defenseless or exposed to danger, especially from the 20th century onward.

Sitting ducks