Where did it come from?
This word for a scary dream comes from a mythological monster or goblin that was believed to sit on people's chests while they slept.
What is a nightmare?
I describe a knife that can cut well, or a student who is very smart and quick-witted.
What is sharp?
"The classroom was a total zoo today" is an example of this literary device.
What is a metaphor?
"Hide in a locked room" and "Close the door" are examples of this bossy verb mood.
What is the imperative mood?
If an actor tells you to "break a leg" before you go on stage, they actually mean this.
What is "good luck"?
This word for a terrifying flying, fire-breathing lizard comes from the ancient Greek word drakōn, meaning "serpent."
What is a dragon?
I describe a diamond that cannot be bent, or a math test that takes a lot of effort to pass.
What is hard?
"The wind whispered through the trees" gives human traits to nature, which is known as this device.
What is personification?
Words like can, could, should, might, and must belong to this specific category of helping verbs.
What are modals?
If someone tells you that the Grade 8 math test at Qatar-Finland International School was "a piece of cake," they mean it was this.
What is easy?
Coming from the Greek roots tele (meaning "far off") and phon (meaning "sound"), it's a device we use every day.
What is a telephone?
I describe a flashlight that shines powerfully, or a child who is highly intelligent.
What is bright?
"I've told you to clean your room a million times!" is an example of this extreme exaggeration.
What is hyperbole?
This punctuation mark is used to separate two independent clauses without using a conjunction like "and" or "but".
What is a semicolon?
If you accidentally "spill the beans" about a surprise party, you have done this.
What is "revealed a secret"?
This word for a written account of a person's life comes from combining the Greek roots bio (life) and graphia (writing).
What is a biography?
I describe the taste of a lemon, or a person who is acting grumpy, angry, and resentful.
What is sour (or bitter)?
"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" is a classic, tongue-twisting example of this device.
What is alliteration?
"Although she was tired, she finished her homework." This is an example of this type of sentence structure.
What is a complex sentence?
If your new PlayStation 5 "costs an arm and a leg," it means it is this.
What is "very expensive"?
This common winter illness takes its name from the Italian phrase for "influence of the stars" because people originally blamed the cosmos for their sickness.
What is influenza (or the flu)?
I describe a lake with no waves and no wind, or a person who does not panic during a zombie attack.
What is calm?
Crash! Bang! Pow! are all examples of this sound-based literary device.
What is onomatopoeia?
This is the grammatical name for the error that occurs when two complete sentences are mashed together with nothing but a comma between them.
What is a comma splice?
If you "bite the bullet" to finally get a cavity filled at the dentist, you are doing this.
What is "facing a difficult or unpleasant situation bravely"?