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  2. Vanka (short story) - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanka_(short_story)

    The phrase “The village, to grandfather” (Russian: на деревню дедушке) from the story became an idiomatic expression, which refers to sending something to inaccurate, incomplete, unclear, questionable, or non-existent address, where it will not be delivered or answered.

  3. The whole nine yards - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_whole_nine_yards

    Its first usage was the punch line of an 1855 Indiana comedic short story titled "The Judge's Big Shirt". [2] The earliest known idiomatic use of the phrase is from 1907 in Southern Indiana. [3] The phrase is related to the expression the whole six yards, used around the same time in Kentucky and South Carolina.

  4. The old man lost his horse - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_old_man_lost_his_horse

    The first known version of the story is found in the Huainanzi, which was compiled around 139 BCE. [citation needed] Among chengyu (Chinese: 成語; pinyin: chéngyǔ), traditional Chinese idiomatic expressions, one finds the saying Chinese: 塞翁失馬,焉知非福. Sài wēng shī mǎ, yān zhī fēi fú [4] [3]

  5. Cock and bull story - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cock_and_bull_story

    Cock and bull story" is an English-language idiom for a far-fetched and fanciful story or tale of highly dubious validity. It is often used to describe a description of events told by someone who is being deceitful or giving an excuse, perhaps unconvincingly.

  6. The Third Bank of the River (short story) - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Bank_of_the...

    The Third Bank of the River" is a short story written by João Guimarães Rosa, published in his book Primeiras Estórias (First Stories), in 1962. It is narrated in first person by the son of a man who decides to leave the family and the whole society to live within a small [canoe] in a huge river .

  7. Catbird seat - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catbird_seat

    The gray catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, atop a fir tree "The catbird seat" is an idiomatic phrase used to describe an enviable position, often in terms of having the upper hand or greater advantage in any type of dealing among parties.

  8. List of proverbial phrases - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_proverbial_phrases

    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:

  9. Idiom - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom

    An idiom is a phrase or expression that largely or exclusively carries a figurative or non-literal meaning, rather than making any literal sense.Categorized as formulaic language, an idiomatic expression's meaning is different from the literal meanings of each word inside it. [1]