Meaning “Chasing rainbows” means pursuing something that is difficult or perhaps impossible to achieve. It often describes someone who is following a dream, goal, or promise that may be unrealistic or always seem just out of reach. The expression comes from the fact that a rainbow appears to have a definite location, but when you…
Meaning “Birds of a feather” is a shortened form of the proverb “Birds of a feather flock together.” It describes people who have similar personalities, interests, values, habits, or ways of behaving. The idea is that people who are alike naturally tend to spend time together. The comparison comes from birds. Birds of the same…
Meaning “Nothing to write home about” means that something is ordinary, unremarkable, or not particularly exciting. It is used when an experience, event, meal, performance, or result is not bad enough to complain about, but also not impressive enough to get excited about. The expression comes from the older idea of people living or traveling…
Meaning “All roads lead to Rome” means that there can be many different ways of reaching the same goal or achieving the same result. You do not necessarily have to follow one particular path to get where you want to go. The expression comes from the importance of Rome during the Roman Empire. Rome was…
Meaning “A chip off the old block” is usually used to describes people who are very similar to one of their parents, usually in appearance, personality, behavior, abilities, or interests. It suggests that the child has inherited noticeable qualities from the parent. The imagery comes from a piece of wood or stone being cut from…
Something is said to be “a piece of cake” if it is very easy to do. The phrase is used when a task requires little effort, skill, or difficulty, especially when someone has done it successfully without much trouble. The expression compares an easy task to eating a piece of cake. Eating cake is generally…
Meaning To “take the edge off” means to make something less intense, painful, stressful, or unpleasant. The phrase is often used when something is bothering you and you do something that makes the situation a little easier to handle. For example, after a long and stressful day, having a warm drink, listening to music, or…
Meaning The phrase, “The story has legs,” simply means that a story, idea, or piece of information has enough interest or potential to continue attracting attention. In other words, it has the ability to go somewhere beyond its original telling and remain relevant or interesting for some time. The expression is often used by journalists,…
Meaning The phrase, “A match made in heaven” is usually used to describe two people or things that seem exceptionally well suited to each other. The phrase suggests that the combination is so natural and successful that it feels as though it was meant to happen. It is most commonly used for romantic couples who…
Meaning “To throw caution to the wind” means to stop worrying about the possible risks or consequences of something and go ahead anyway. The phrase describes a moment when someone decides to be bold, adventurous, or spontaneous instead of playing it safe. The image behind the expression is quite vivid: caution is treated as something…