We usually brandish a weapon, or some object we can wave about. But the definition of brandish can be stretched to include more figurative types of weapons or objects (e.g. seductive body parts). This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Chickens give more than eggs, meat, and feathers—they give language!
callback n.— «He ends nearly every chapter with a surprising figurative twist on something he said earlier, like what comedians refer to as a “callback.”» —“Inventing English: A Portable History Of The Language By Seth...
tombstoning n. 1. the use of the names and data of dead persons to commit fraud. 2. In the U.K., the pastime of leaping from heights into bodies of water. Editorial Note: There are many figurative uses of tombstone, most generally meaning an object...
stiffs n.pl. in soccer, a reserve or second-string team or its players; a league, figurative or real, of such teams. Editorial Note: Usually constructed with the definite article: the stiffs, similar to baseball’s the minors. Etymological Note: This...
road to Damascus n. a religious conversion; a revelation, especially about one’s self; in other figurative uses, denoting a change in attitude, perspective, or belief. Also road to Damascus experience. Editorial Note: From the biblical story of St...