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Luddite
Word of the Day: Luddite The word Luddite originated in the early 1800s. At that time, a group of people referred to as Luddites, perhaps because their leader was Mr. Ludd, protested against machines being used as an excuse to avoid standard labour practices, such as giving them a lower salary. These Luddites were not protesting against the machines. The…
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Down the road
Phrase: Down the road Down the road is a phrase used to refer to the future. Think about time as a road. The road that you have already walked on is the past. The road you are currently walking on is the present, and the road still ahead of you represents the future. Native English speakers…
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Stave off
WotD: Stave off People must learn how to stave things off or even other people. When we stave something off, we find a way to prevent something terrible from happening. For example, getting the flu vaccine every year is a way of staving off a severe case of influenza. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That’s…
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Play into (one’s) hands
Phrase: Play into your hands Unfortunately, when we take security for granted, we play into someone’s hands, especially those of the hackers who want to attack us. Our world is increasingly becoming digital, and taking digital security for granted is widespread. When you play into someone’s hands, you unintentionally give them the advantage. Change your passwords don’t…
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Square
WotD: Square Did you know that square can also be used as a verb? Most English language students understand that a square is a figure with four sides of equal length and four 90°angles. When square is used as a verb, it can mean to make things right after a mistake or to convince someone to agree with you. The little…
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Sign off
WotD: Sign off Most things need approval of some kind. A person in authority will sign off on something when they want to approve it or give a subordinate permission to do something. If a child wants to go to a sleepover at their friend’s house, they must first get their parents to sign off on it.…
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Mishmash
Word of the Day: Mishmash English has some funny-sounding and looking words like mishmash or hodgepodge. A mishmash is a mixture of unrelated items, such as the things you find at a yard sale. It’s often called a confusing jumble or chaos. Yard sales, junk sales, or flea markets often offer a mishmash of things for sale. On the…
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Throw the baby out with the bathwater
Idiom: Throw the baby out with the bathwater Throwing the baby out with the bathwater refers to throwing away something valuable while getting rid of something worthless. With the Marie Kondo boom of tidying up, people have been reorganizing their homes and getting rid of things that no longer spark joy. However, in the rush…
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Weigh in
Word of the Day: Weigh in Leadership is a skill that is often sought after, but only some possess it. A good leader knows when to take the reins and when to step back and let others make decisions. This balance is crucial for the success of any team or group, as it ensures that…
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Not my first rodeo
English Idiom: Not my first rodeo Doesn’t it bother you when someone tries to tell you how to do something that you already know how to do? You probably even know how to do it better than they do, right? Let me give you a nice thing to say to them. Yes, I know WHAT…
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