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Wet behind the ears
Idiom: Wet behind the ears If someone is inexperienced or immature, we can say they are wet behind the ears. Think about a newborn baby. When babies are born, they are immediately wrapped in a towel or blanket and dried, but it’s hard to get everywhere. Sometimes, most of their body is dry, but not everywhere.…
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Frenemy
Word of the Day: Frenemy A frenemy pretends to be your friend but is, in reality, your enemy. Imagine that you and your friend like the same guy very much. Both of you compete to catch this guy. Now your friend has become your frenemy. Or, on a different note, perhaps two companies form…
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Keep under wraps
English Idiom: Keep under wraps If you keep something under wraps, you are keeping it hush-hush. For example, whenever a tech company is going to release a new device, such as a new smartphone, whenever an auto racing team designs a new aero package for their car or whenever a car manufacturer is developing a…
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Click
Word of the Day: Click Sometimes, people just become friends as soon as they meet. Yes, people can click. The meaning I am using differs from what it means to use your computer mouse. When people click, they become instant friends. It’s the same as hitting it off. You know that sometimes, when meeting a person for…
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Dabble
Word of the Day: Dabble If you dabble in something, you are interested in it, but not seriously. For example, you can be interested in painting as a hobby but never become the next Picasso. You like painting but are not very serious about selling your works or perfecting your skills. Sometimes, people who are…
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Stir the pot
English Idiom: Stir the pot Some people like to stir the pot. To stir the pot means to do something to make others angry, agitated or upset. They love to make people angry or make a situation worse. Sometimes, they do this to get more attention, create excitement, or have fun. Perhaps a couple has…
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Hush-hush
Word of the Day: Hush-hush If you are in a romantic relationship with someone at work, you may not want your other coworkers to know, so you try to keep the relationship hush-hush. To keep something secret, you must keep it hush-hush. It’s never easy to keep things hush-hush. If two people know, it’s no…
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Nip in the bud
English Idiom: Nip (something) in the bud If we nip a problem in the bud, we stop it before it becomes a big problem or gets out of hand. This practice comes from removing flowers while they are still buds and have not bloomed. Just recently, another Japanese government minister uttered something that should not…
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Infamous
Word of the Day: Infamous Infamous means to be famous, but not for a good reason. Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot are all examples of infamous people. A similar word is notorious. These days, major cities in China are notorious for their poor air quality. On any given day, thousands walk and ride bicycles or…
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Tightwad
Word of the Day: Tightwad Calling someone a tightwad is not a nice thing to do. A tightwad is a cheap person who usually has money but refuses to spend it. It’s OK to be frugal and not waste your money, but you don’t want to spend money on anything if you’re too frugal. Probably…
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