Idioms & Metaphorical Language II Flashcards
On its face
At first appearance, superficially. If someone says on its face, you can expect that later on, the person will give the “real story.” In a Reading Comprehension passage, seeing on its face is a good clue that the author’s main idea will probably be the opposite of what seems true at first glance.
On its face, the donation seems like a selfless act of philanthropy. However, the wealthy donor mainly made the donation for the tax benefits.
Only looks (adjective)
Appears (some certain way) but isn’t really.
On pair with
Sometimes on a par with, this expression comes from golf and means about equal to or equivalent to.
Opening salvo
A salvo is a simultaneous discharge of gunfire or release fo bombs. Metaphorically, an opening salvo is something that starts a fight.
Outside of the home
Working outside of the home means having a regular job, such as in an office. However, working out of your home is actually working at home. If that’s hard to understand, think of the expression living out of your car, which actually means living in you car - the idea is that you leave the car to go “out” but return back to the car as your base, just as someone who works out of her home leaves the home to go to meetings, for example, but uses the home as a central point.
Per se
In itself, by itself, intrinsically. From Latin, often written in italics. Per se is often used to indicate that while X isn’t naturally or the same as Y, it still has the same effect as Y.
The policy isn’t sexist, per se, but it has had a disproportionate impact on women that deserves further study.
Press for
Argue in favor of. Think of pushing people towards what you want them to do.
The advocates pressed for greater regulation of child-care providers.
Rabid
Rabies is a disease that some animals contract and that causes the animal to become insane and violent. Thus, we use rabid metaphorically to mean zealous or excessively or angrily passionate. One symptom of rabies is foaming at the mouth, which is also an expression for being extremely angry.
Ranks of
The people in a group other than the leaders. Many people know the word rank as “ a level or grade,” as in A general has a higher rank than a sergeant. The other use of ranks is also originally related to the military: the ranks or sometimes the rank and file means all the regular soldiers.
Reap and sow
These are metaphors related to farming, and specifically the idea that the seeds that you plant determine what you will later harvest. A common expression is You reap what you sow.
Red flag
Warning sign or something alarming.
Red herring
Something irrelevant that distracts from the real issue. A herring is a fish. One theory for the origin of the expression is that criminals trying to escape the police would sometimes rub a smelly fish across their trail as they ran away in order to mislead the dogs used to track them down.
Reign vs. reins
Reign means “rule (noun),” as in Conditions have improved under the king’s reign. Reins are leather straps used by a rider to control a horse. Both words are often used metaphorically.
(Adjective)-ridden
Dominated, burdened, or afflicted by (adjective). In a disease-ridden slum, it’s pretty obvious that the meaning is bad, but actually, adding -ridden to anything makes the meaning bad. If someone said an equality-ridden society, that person is actually against equality! Ridden can also be used alone, as in The neighborhood was ridden with crime.
Scarcely or Scarce
Sometimes scarce is used where it sounds like the adverb scarcely is needed.
Save
But or except. As a verb, of course, save means keep safe, store up, set aside.
All of the divisions of the company are profitable save the movie-rental division.
School of thought
A group of people with similar beliefs or perspective on things, or the beliefs themselves. If a GRE writer says One school of thought argues X, it is probably the case that the author is about to say the opposite.
Sight vs. site vs. cite
To sight is to see, or discover by looking. A site is a location. To cite is to reference or give credit to.
So much as
This phrase is used an adverbial intensifier. In My teacher is so awful, she won’t so much as answer a question, the meaning is that, whatever the teacher will do, it is not “ as much as” answering a question - it is something less than that. It can also be used as a synonym for but rather.
Sound the depths
Explore, investigate, or look into something really deeply. This expression is a metaphor based on the idea of a “sounding line,” which is a rope with a weight on the bottom that you drop to the ocean floor to see how deep the ocean is.
Steeped in
Immersed in, saturated with. A teabag steeps in hot water. A person steeped in classic literature really knows a lot about old, famous books.
Stem from
Be caused by. This is related to the idea of a plant’s stem.
Hold sway over
Have great power or influence over a person, group of people, or place.
Table
In American English, to table something means to postpone discussion of it until later.
Take umbrage
Become offended.
The very idea
This expression is used to express a strong contrast.
The author conjures up a drifting yet haunting word picture that challenges one’s very notion of what constitutes a story.
Trappings
Accessories, the characteristics items, products, etc. that come with or are associated with something. Think of the side dishes or condiments that come with a mean. The trappings of fame include invites to fancy parties and free items from companies.
Vanguard and avant-garde
The avant-garde (French for in front of the guard) were the leading soldiers at the front of an army. Vanguard is derived from avant-garde and means the same thing. Metaphorically, the avant-garde (noun or adjective) or vanguard (noun) are innovators, those at the forefront of any movement or those “ahead of their time.” Sometimes, the avant-garde seems a little crazy or scary at first.
Wanting
Wanting means lacking, insufficient, or not good enough (as in, I read the book and found it wanting). This makes sense when you think about a person who is left wanting - that is, the person is left wanting something good. Conversely, a person who wants for nothing is someone who already has everything.
With a grain of salt
To take something (a statement, claim, etc.) with a grain of salt is to maintain a small amount of skepticism. The origin of this expression is related to an old belief that a small amount of salt could help protect agains poison.
With respect to, in some respects
These expressions are not really about giving respect. With respect to (or in respect to) just means about. The expression in some respects just means in some ways.
Wreak havoc
Cause destruction. The past tense of wreak is wrought.
