Idioms & Expressions
If you are feeling slightly sick or unwell, you are said to be "under" this.
the weather
A user left a scathing review on this music streaming app, yelling: "I skipped three songs and now it’s forcing me to listen to a 30-second ad about car insurance."
Spotify
The World Trade Center towers are destroyed on 9/11, the Euro enters circulation, and the iPhone is launched.
2000s
Often served at Japanese izakayas, these immature soybeans are boiled or steamed in their pods and sprinkled with coarse salt.
Edamame
This formal business attire, traditionally worn at black-tie evening events, typically features satin lapels and matching trousers.
Tuxedo
When you are forced to face the consequences of your actions, you must "face the..."
music
A review of this ancient prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, simply read: "Just a bunch of rocks in a field. My local quarry has more interesting rocks."
Stonehenge
Neil Armstrong walks on the Moon, the Beatles take America by storm, and the Vietnam War intensifies.
1960s
This Vietnamese sandwich combines French colonial influence (baguettes, pate) with local ingredients like pickled daikon and cilantro.
Banh Mi
This prehistoric giant vanished from Earth about 66 million years ago.
T-Rex
This phrase, meaning to avoid talking about the main topic, comes from hunters hiring people to flush out game from the undergrowth.
Beat Around the Bush
A customer left a 1-star review for this massive coffee chain because "they spelled my name 'Cark' instead of 'Clark' on the cup. Unacceptable."
Starbucks
World War II comes to an end, the United Nations is formed, and the atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima.
1940s
This comforting Thai street food features stir-fried rice noodles, tofu or shrimp, peanuts, scrambled egg, and a tangy tamarind sauce.
Pad Thai
This mythical Greek bird would cyclically regenerate or be biologically reborn, rising from the ashes of its predecessor.
Pheonix
This idiom meaning to give up or surrender comes from early 20th-century boxing matches, where cornermen would throw a specific piece of fabric into the ring.
Throw in the Towel
A review of this famous 17th-century white marble mausoleum in Agra, India: "The building looks nice, but it's literally just a giant, expensive tomb for the emperor's dead wife. Waste of tax money."
Taj Mahal
The Soviet Union officially dissolves, the World Wide Web becomes publicly available, and the Gulf War begins.
1990s
Known as the national dish of the Philippines, this cooking process involves marinating meat in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and bay leaves.
Adobo
This tiny, nutrient-dense seed is highly prized for its fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, often ground up and added to smoothies.
Flaxseed
This idiom meaning to narrowly escape disaster comes from old beliefs about the unique physical anatomy of teeth on birds.
By the Skin of One's Teeth
An ancient review of this Italian city in 79 AD: "0 out of 5 stars. Mount Vesuvius ruined our local architecture. Too much ash."
Pompeii
Elvis Presley dominates the music charts, the DNA double-helix structure is discovered, and the Korean War begins.
1950s
This complex, gelatinous dry curry is slow-cooked for hours until the coconut milk completely evaporates, leaving the beef deeply caramelized.
Rendang
This logical statement or proposition contradicts itself, yet might still express a possible truth.
Paradox