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:
- “I need to brush up on my Spanish before the trip.”
- “She decided to brush up on her coding skills for the upcoming project.”
- “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.
