HOW OFTEN DO YOU FLY OFF THE HANDLE?

This expression fly off the handle is of American origin and is normally used in informal contexts in relation to a person. When you say that someone flew off the handle, what you are suggesting is that the individual lost his temper. He became extremely angry about something you said or did, and started shouting […]

SELL LIKE HOTCAKES!

If the book that you have written sells like hotcakes, it means a lot of people are buying it. The book is doing very good business, and is earning you a lot of money. They tell me Anuradha’s old paintings are selling like hot cakes. We are hoping that our new product will sell like […]

HOW DO YOU ‘BUTTONHOLE’ SOMEONE?

This is an expression frequently used in informal contexts. When you buttonhole someone, what you are doing is preventing the person from leaving; you catch hold of the individual and carry on a conversation with the very reluctant listener. The person being in a hurry to leave, may not be in the mood to talk […]

CRICKET WORLD CUP FINAL: DAMP SQUIB?

A week ago, cricket enthusiasts in our country were excited when India reached the final of the World Cup. For two or three days everyone was talking about the match against Australia, and quite a few people spent a ton of money to be present at the stadium in Ahmedabad for the game on 19 […]

WHY DO WE SAY, ‘A MONTH OF SUNDAYS’?

The expression a month of Sundays is mostly used in informal contexts to mean a very long, indefinite or unspecified period of time. It could range from a few months to a few years. The expression can also be used to suggest ‘never’. I haven’t seen a Rajini movie in a month of Sundays Not […]