PHRASE-SAURUS
Learn New Phrases
CATCH 22
Meaning : A difficult circumstance from which there is no escape.
Origin: Comes from the novel by Joseph Hellen in which the main character feigns madness in order to avoid dangerous combat. Name of the novel is Catch-22.
STEAL SOMEONE’S THUNDER
Meaning : Winning praise for oneself by pre- empting someone else’s attempt to impress.
Origin: John Dennis who worked in theatre invented a machine producing thunder sounds but people did not like it. But later he went to see the play Macbeth and saw them using the same machine he had invented.
WHITE ELEPHANT
Meaning: A possession that is useless or that is expensive to dispose of.
Origin: From the story Kings of Siam where they gifted a lot of animal to the countries they disliked and didn’t know what to do with them.
RED HERRING
Meaning: Something that misleads or distracts from the main issue.
Origin: There is no such fish as the Red herring but long ago people used to use smoked herring to train hounds and divert them from the correct route.
HANGING BY A THREAD
Meaning: Being at risk.
Origin: King Dionysius held a banquet for Damocles , a courtier of ancient Syracuse. King Dionysius was annoyed with Damocles constant flattery of his king. He invited him to a banquet , where Damocles was seated under a sword suspended by a single hair. It symbolized his tenuous position in the court.
FEATHER IN YOUR CAP
Meaning: A feather on the cap is recognised as a badge of honour.
Origin: Earlier the hunters who killed a bird would mark their achievement by wearing a feather plucked from it as a symbol of pride.
Learn New Phrases
CATCH 22
Meaning : A difficult circumstance from which there is no escape.
Origin: Comes from the novel by Joseph Hellen in which the main character feigns madness in order to avoid dangerous combat. Name of the novel is Catch-22.
STEAL SOMEONE’S THUNDER
Meaning : Winning praise for oneself by pre- empting someone else’s attempt to impress.
Origin: John Dennis who worked in theatre invented a machine producing thunder sounds but people did not like it. But later he went to see the play Macbeth and saw them using the same machine he had invented.
WHITE ELEPHANT
Meaning: A possession that is useless or that is expensive to dispose of.
Origin: From the story Kings of Siam where they gifted a lot of animal to the countries they disliked and didn’t know what to do with them.
RED HERRING
Meaning: Something that misleads or distracts from the main issue.
Origin: There is no such fish as the Red herring but long ago people used to use smoked herring to train hounds and divert them from the correct route.
HANGING BY A THREAD
Meaning: Being at risk.
Origin: King Dionysius held a banquet for Damocles , a courtier of ancient Syracuse. King Dionysius was annoyed with Damocles constant flattery of his king. He invited him to a banquet , where Damocles was seated under a sword suspended by a single hair. It symbolized his tenuous position in the court.
FEATHER IN YOUR CAP
Meaning: A feather on the cap is recognised as a badge of honour.
Origin: Earlier the hunters who killed a bird would mark their achievement by wearing a feather plucked from it as a symbol of pride.
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