Stress is a normal part of everyday life, but English speakers often use idioms to describe stressful feelings and situations. Instead of simply saying someone is stressed, you may hear expressions such as under pressure, at the end of your rope, have a lot on your plate, or pull your hair out. These expressions can…
If you are wondering whether the correct spelling is cancell or cancel, the answer is cancel. In standard American English, the verb is spelled C-A-N-C-E-L, with only one l at the end. Cancell is not the standard spelling of the English verb. If you are writing an email, school assignment, business message, website, or other…
If you are unsure whether to write simular or similar, the correct spelling for the usual meaning of “alike” or “nearly the same” is similar. The standard spelling is S-I-M-I-L-A-R. For example: The two houses look similar. The spelling simular is not the standard modern spelling when you want to describe two things that are…
Bicep and biceps are both used in American English, but they are not exactly the same in form or usage. The word biceps is the traditional anatomical term for the muscle at the front of the upper arm, while bicep is an established shortened form used commonly in everyday English. If you are writing about…
Exercise and fitness have given English many colorful expressions. Some are used when people talk directly about workouts, while others describe work, relationships, goals, competition, and everyday problems. For example, hit the gym literally means to go to a gym to exercise. Break a sweat can describe physical activity, but it can also mean making…
English has many idioms and expressions that describe something as perfect, exactly right, highly successful, beautiful, complete, or ideally suited to a situation. Some directly contain the word perfect, while others express the same idea without using it. For example, practice makes perfect emphasizes the value of repeated practice, while fit like a glove describes…
Friendship is one of the most common subjects in everyday conversation, and English has many colorful expressions for describing close friends, loyalty, support, trust, disagreements, and lasting relationships. Instead of simply saying that two people are good friends, you can say they are thick as thieves, like two peas in a pod, or that they…
Dogs appear in many English idioms and expressions. These phrases can describe competition, hard work, conflict, success, trouble, loyalty, stubbornness, and everyday situations. Their meanings are often figurative, so understanding the individual words may not be enough. For example, if someone says, “You’re barking up the wrong tree,” they are not talking about a dog…
If you are wondering whether fead or feed is the correct spelling, the answer is feed. In standard English, feed is the correct word when you mean to give food to a person or animal, supply something, or put information into a system. Fead is a misspelling and should not be used in standard American…
If you are wondering whether the correct spelling is stary or starry, the correct word is starry. The spelling stary is generally a misspelling when you mean something full of stars or lit by stars. In American English, starry is an adjective meaning “full of stars” or describing something lit by stars. For example, you…