Does the expression to harp on, as in “to nag,” have anything to do with the stringed instrument one plays by plucking? Yes! As early as the 16th century to harp all of one string meant to keep playing the same single note monotonously. This is part...
If someone’s balloon has lost its string, it means “they’ve come unmoored”. Something unusual or odd has come about in their character. Patrice Evans used the illustration in his description of Tracy Morgan in an article for...
What do you call someone who doesn’t eat fish? A caller wants to know, but not because of dietary requirements. He’s a string bass player who plays in an ensemble that’s tired of being asked to perform Schubert’s famous composition, the Trout...
hot prowl burglary n.— «A string of what the police call “hot prowl” burglaries—entries into people’s homes as they sleep—had been reported.» —“Alleged Serial Burglar Nabbed in West Portal” by Joe...
denning n.— «A biologist at the scene admitted to an independent wolf scientist that the 6-week-old pups were held down and shot in the head, one by one. This inhumane practice, known as “denning,” has been illegal for 40...
camp arm n.— «The other is the fourth-string Preston Parsons, a “camp arm” in NFL parlance, who is needed to help execute the voluminous passes and handoffs required during the summer but who has little chance of making the...
