a couple seated facing each other having an angry argument

Crossing swords and sparks flying (Idioms about arguing)

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a couple seated facing each other having an angry argument
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by Kate Woodford

The English language contains a lot of idioms and phrases on the theme of arguing. This post looks at some of the most useful ones. I hope you find it interesting. Continue reading “Crossing swords and sparks flying (Idioms about arguing)”

a woman moving boxes in a large warehouse filled with tall shelves of boxes

No shortage of phrases (The language of large amounts or numbers, Part 2)

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a woman moving boxes in a large warehouse filled with tall shelves of boxes
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by Kate Woodford

Today’s offering is Part 2 of a post looking at the language of large numbers or amounts of things. Part 1 focused on adjectives and verbs, so this post looks at nouns and phrases in this area. Continue reading “No shortage of phrases (The language of large amounts or numbers, Part 2)”

close-up of a man's hands holding a large pile of small yellow soya beans

Teeming with and abundant (The language of large amounts and numbers, Part 1)

close-up of a man's hands holding a large pile of small yellow soya beans
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by Kate Woodford

Today, I’m looking at the language we use to describe large amounts or numbers of things. Of course, words that mean ‘very large’ such as huge and massive, are often used in this way, but for the purposes of this post, I’ll focus on words and phrases which refer specifically to large amounts and numbers. It’s a very rich area of the language so the post will be in two parts. Continue reading “Teeming with and abundant (The language of large amounts and numbers, Part 1)”

close up photograph of a person holding an empty wallet, with credit cards and a calculator visible on the table in the background

Making ends meet and feeling the pinch (Money idioms, Part 2)

close up photograph of a person holding an empty wallet, with credit cards and a calculator visible on the table in the background
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by Kate Woodford

Part 1 of this money-themed post looked at idioms that say something about having lots of money.  Today’s post features idioms about not having enough money and about controlling how you spend money when you don’t have very much of it. In addition, I’ll also include sayings about money. Continue reading “Making ends meet and feeling the pinch (Money idioms, Part 2)”

Young woman pushes a kayak in the water of lake on a summer sunny day.

Paying through the nose and pushing the boat out (Money Idioms, Part 1)

Young woman pushes a kayak in the water of lake on a summer sunny day.
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by Kate Woodford

Today, in the latest of my money-themed posts, I’m looking at money idioms, by which I mean idioms that say something about money (and not idioms about other subjects that feature the words ‘penny’, ‘money’, ‘coin’ etc.). There are lots of money idioms so this is Part 1 and we’ll publish Part 2 in a couple of weeks. Continue reading “Paying through the nose and pushing the boat out (Money Idioms, Part 1)”

a colourful photo collage of a woman's hand holding a credit card surrounded by a plate of food, car, piggy bank, online shopping icon, and house

Skimping and splurging (Verbs for spending money)

a colourful photo collage of a woman's hand holding a credit card surrounded by a plate of food, car, piggy bank, online shopping icon, and house
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by Kate Woodford

Last month I wrote a post on words and phrases used to talk about our money habits. Continuing with the money theme, I’m looking this week at verbs and verb phrases for spending money. Continue reading “Skimping and splurging (Verbs for spending money)”

close up photograph of a small coin purse full of Euro notes and coins

Spendthrifts and skinflints (The language of how we spend)

close up photograph of a small coin purse full of Euro notes and coins
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by Kate Woodford

Would you describe yourself as careful with money or are you a big spender? Today’s post considers the language we use to talk about our money habits. Continue reading “Spendthrifts and skinflints (The language of how we spend)”

one little girl pointing at another girl in messy room

Telltales and fidgets (Words that we use for children)

one little girl pointing at another girl in messy room
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by Kate Woodford

In a supermarket last week, I heard a mother telling her child not to be naughty. Naughty is, of course, a word usually used for (badly behaved) children rather than adults. It made me think about other words that we use mainly for children, and I thought the subject would make an interesting post. Continue reading “Telltales and fidgets (Words that we use for children)”

a yawning tabby kitten

Has the cat got your tongue? (How we talk, Part 2)

a yawning tabby kitten
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by Kate Woodford

My last ‘How we talk’ post focused on words used for people who talk a lot, including adjectives such as ‘talkative’ and ‘forthcoming’. This week, I’m looking at the opposite – words that we use for people who say very little. Continue reading “Has the cat got your tongue? (How we talk, Part 2)”

a photograph of two young people smiling and talking to each other, with a colourful, illustrated background showing a speech bubble

He could talk the hind legs off a donkey (How we talk, Part 1)

a photograph of two young people smiling and talking to each other, with a colourful, illustrated background showing a speech bubble
We Are/DigitalVision/GettyImages

by Kate Woodford

This week and next, I’m looking at ways to describe how much – or how little – we speak. There are lots of words (especially adjectives) in this area, with very different connotations, from chatty (=talking a lot in a friendly, informal way) to reserved (=tending not to talk about your feelings or opinions):

Jamie was his usual chatty self.

My grandfather was a quiet, rather reserved man.

This post will cover words and phrases that mean ‘talking a lot’ and Part 2 will deal with the opposite. Continue reading “He could talk the hind legs off a donkey (How we talk, Part 1)”