Language Café

Definition: An event that causes the failure of something that had already started to fail.Origin: Many coffins were plain, handmade wooden (often pine) boxes whose lids were nailed shut for burial. This gave rise to the idioms "another nail in the coffin" and "final (or last) nail in the coffin." Both refer to any event that contributes to ("another nail") or causes the failure ("final nail") of something that was already doomed or had already begun to fail. It's the most recent in a series of events leading to a seemingly unavoidable negative outcome.

Definition: Giving information to another person that will more than likely disappoint them; to ruin someone's happy moment; to destroy someone's expectations.Origin: This phrase might possibly derive its figurative meaning from how a person's enjoyment levels of literally blowing bubbles can abruptly change when their bubbles burst. The phrase dates back to at least 1860.

Definition: To adapt oneself to bad circumstances.Origin: This phrase is believed to originate with boxing, where 'rolling with the punches' was, and still is, a boxing term. The term is used to explain how boxers will often angle themselves in certain ways to help lessen the impact of incoming blows

Definition: 1. A state of depression or people not moving forward.2. Something that does not smell good.Origin: Mid 18th century perhaps from funk in the slang sense 'tobacco smoke'.

Definition: Something that is in poor taste. Origin: Early 19th century: of unknown origin. Early use was as a noun denoting a horse of little value, later applied to a poor white in some southern states, hence 'shabby, cheap, in bad taste' (mid 19th century).

Definition: Something, someone, or some situation is no longer as exciting, novel, or interesting as it first was, likened to a rose that is no longer in its prime and most appealing conditionOrigin: Referring to a rose that isn't blooming anymore, and is therefore not as attractive as it once was.

Definition: 1.Do you want to do something? An invitation.2. Something that is very sophisticated and considered luxurious and expensive.3. To be romantically interested in a person.

Definition: Using the rules and procedures meant to protect a system in order, instead, to manipulate the system for a desired outcome.Origin: Origin dates back to 1975, but there is no clear origin. Presumably making a "game" out of the system.

Definition: 1. To fail to perform at a crucial point of a game or contest owing to a failure of nerve.2. To be overwhelmed and to make (someone) speechless with a strong and typically negative feeling or emotion.Origin: Early users of the slang term choked really equate failing under pressure with losing the ability to breathe and to function normally, and thus with failing to maintain one's composure and to perform well.

Definition: The Greatest Of All Time.Origin: The earliest usage of the term "G.O.A.T." meaning "greatest of all time" is from September 1992, when Lonnie Ali, Muhammad Ali's wife, incorporated Greatest of All Time, Inc. (G.O.A.T. Inc.) to consolidate and license her husband's intellectual properties for commercial purposes.