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  2. etymology - Where does the term "second wind" come from? -...

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/561054/where-does-the-term-second-wind...

    Meaning "breath" is attested from late Old English; especially "breath in speaking" (early 14c.), so long-winded, also "easy or regular breathing" (early 14c.), hence second wind in the figurative sense (by 1830), an image from the sport of hunting.

  3. If the wind changes, you'll stay like that! or simiarly. If the wind changes, your face will stick! A friend insists the origin of this expression is Ruth Park's 1980 children's book, When the Wind Changed. I suspect the expression pre-dates 1980 by decades, probably centuries.

  4. Two grammatical problems in the lyrics of "Colors of the wind"

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/283646

    The lyrics are using two different meanings of earth. The first is Earth as in the planet, the second is earth as in soil. The intended meaning is "You can own the whole planet but all you'll have is dirt/something worthless", until you are able to paint with all the colors of the wind.

  5. meaning - What's the difference between "winding up" and "winding...

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/409411/whats-the-difference-between...

    Winding up has a second meaning, to antagonize or troll. But yes, I think they are similar when used to refer to something coming to an end. Perhaps wind up sounds more like things should come to a stop, whereas wind down sounds more like a gradual reduction of activity.

  6. In what English-speaking communities does "trump" refer to the...

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/264355/in-what-english-speaking...

    It is clear from this site that the verb to trump has been used extensively across Britain to refer to the breaking of wind. It is especially the case in the North, in Wales and certainly in Norfolk, when I was a child in the 1950s. This use is confirmed by the OED.

  7. Where does the term "three sheets to the wind" originate from?

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/15448/where-does-the-term-three-sheets-to...

    Second, regarding etymology, urbandictionary.com says: origin: sheets actually refer to the ropes that are used to secure a ship's sail. If the 3 ropes used were loose in the wind, the sail would flop around, causing the ship to wobble around, much like a drunk. Apparently, variants exist, as the New Oxford American Dictionary has:

  8. phrase origin - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/415099/where-does-the-usage-of-around...

    The first/second etc. time around: the first/second etc. time that something happens. Looking after a baby is much easier the second time around. (Macmillan dictionary) The expressions appear to be from the early 20th century but their usage literally took off from the '60s and are quite common usage now as suggested by Google books.

  9. meaning - Where does the second definition of applesauce,...

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/617387/where-does-the-second-definition-of...

    But the "nonsense" meaning was certainly in widespread use in the 1920s. For example, from H.C. Witwer, "Auto Intoxication" in Collier's (January 1, 1921): "Gimme my money back, you burglar!" shrieked the newcomer, ignoring me entirely. "I'm gonna have you pinched. This old tomato can is nothin' but a mess of junk!

  10. History of the phrase "break wind" - English Language & Usage...

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/22353/history-of-the-phrase-break-wind

    It appears that this may have some relation to an obsolete meaning of brake.. From OED: † brake, v.6. Etymology: perhaps repr. an unrecorded Old English *bracian , < bræc , which occurs in the sense of ‘phlegm, mucus, saliva’; compare Old Dutch braeken , Middle Low German and modern Dutch braken to vomit; allied to break n.1 (compare German sich brechen).

  11. etymology - Origin and meaning of "chaff before the wind" -...

    english.stackexchange.com/questions/263407

    Scoop up some of the harvest into a shallow pan and toss it gently in the air. The wind will blow off the chaff and the kernels of grain will fall back into the pan, because they're heavier than the chaff. Now you can pour the pure grain into the grain sack. You're just using the relative density of the two materials, and the wind, to do the ...