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A proverbial phrase or expression is a type of conventional saying similar to a proverb and transmitted by oral tradition. The difference is that a proverb is a fixed expression, while a proverbial phrase permits alterations to fit the grammar of the context. [1] [2] In 1768, John Ray defined a proverbial phrase as:
Bread and butter" is a superstitious blessing or charm, typically said by young couples or friends walking together when they are forced to separate by an obstacle, such as a pole or another person. By saying the phrase, the bad luck of letting something come between them is thought to be averted. [ 1 ]
The cakewalk was influenced by the ring shout, which survived from the 18th into the 20th century. [5] This dance style was often part of African American slaves' religious ceremonies and involved shuffling the feet counterclockwise in a circle (ring) formation and reciting spirituals in a call-and-response format with others outside of the ring.
A petit maître (little master) – a fashionable French dandy or fop of 1778. To put on airs, also give airs, put in airs, give yourself airs, is an English language idiom and a colloquial phrase meant to describe a person who acts superior, or one who behaves as if they are more important than others.
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Walking on Air or Walkin' on Air may refer to: "Walking on Air" (Katy Perry song), 2013 "Walking on Air" (Anise K song), 2012 "Walking on Air" (Kerli song), 2008; Walking on Air, directed by Joseph Santley; Walking on Air (1946 film), directed by Aveling Ginever; Walkin' on Air, a 1987 album by Bobbysocks "Walking on Air", a song by Orchestral ...
Air quotes, also called finger quotes, are virtual quotation marks formed in the air with one's fingers when speaking. The gesture is typically done with both hands held shoulder-width apart and at the eye or shoulders level of the speaker, with the index and middle fingers on each hand flexing at the beginning and end of the phrase being ...
An older English term that was sometimes used for this meaning is afterwit; it is used, for example, in James Joyce's Ulysses (Chapter 9).. The Yiddish trepverter ("staircase words") [4] and the German loan translation Treppenwitz express the same idea as l'esprit de l'escalier.