This is a frequently used English expression which does not exclusively relate to diamonds but rather is used as a metaphor.
Meaning
The expression is used to suggest that someone could be a real success as they have the basic qualities inside of them however that they lack the finishing touches. In general the expression is most commonly used in relation to people although it can also be used to describe inanimate objects.
Etymology
There is a clear consensus that the expression relates to the fact that an unpolished diamond, whilst not perfect, holds a large amount of potential. This potential is often overlooked due to the initial appearance of the diamond which can look like a common pebble and thus the expression is used to describe those who hold great potential which has not yet been recognised.
The first recorded usage of the expression dates to the year 1624 in John Fletcher’s novel A Wife for a Month. The phrase “she is very honest, and will be as hard to cut as a rough diamond,” is used in order to describe the wife being described.
Example
An example of the usage of this expression can be found in a quote by English journalist Daniel Defoe who stated that “the soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear.”
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Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...
This is a very commonly used English expression used to denote two opposites. It does not relate to glasses or anything of the sort but rather to outlooks or states of mind.
Meaning
The expression is used to denote the difference between an optimist who would describe a glass as being “half-full” and a pessimist who would see it as being “half-empty.”
Etymology
There is no consensus regarding the first usage of this expression although the first recorded citation comes in the form of a quote in The New York Times by Ronald Reagan. This quote reads “you can say it’s like the glass half full or half empty from the year 1985.”
It is suggested by psychologists that a person does not have to de described as either a “glass half-empty” or a “glass half-full” person but rather their choice regarding the description of this metaphorical “glass” can change depending on the situation and their outlook at the time.
Example
An example of this expression in use can be found in a quote by comedian George Carlin who said “some people see the glass half-full. Others see it half-empty. I see a glass that’s twice as big as it needs to be.”
Ne ratez pas
Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...
This English idiom is used fairly commonly in informal contexts and mainly in spoken language although it can be found in written pieces.
Meaning
The expression is used to suggest the understanding of how to do something. It is used to express familiarity with how something works and the processes involved in carrying out a job or task.
Etymology
The expression is said to have nautical derivations as sailors had to learn how the ropes worked before they could set sail. The first recorded usage of the expression can be found in a nautical themed text by Richard H. Dana Jr called Two years before the mast from the year 1840. It reads “the captain, who had been on the coast before and ‘knew the ropes,’ took the steering oar.”
This is not the only suggestion regarding the origins of the expression and another suggestion relates to theatrics and the fact that those who work behind the scenes have to learn how the ropes work in order to operate the curtains. In this way we find an early quote from the year 1850 in J. Timon’s Opera Goer. In this opera the phrase“the belle of two weeks standing, who has learned the ropes,” is used.
Example
An example of the usage of this expression can be found in a famous quote by the American actress Mae West who stated “a dame that knows the ropes isn’t likely to get tied up.”
Ne ratez pas
Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...
This English expression is fairly commonly used in both spoken and written language.
Meaning
The expression is used to mean through both good and bad times. Generally it is given as comforting words of support from one person to another through the phrase “I will be there with you through thick and thin.”
Etymology
This expression has been being used for centuries in the English language and is one of the oldest idioms which is still in use. It is said to date back to a time when England was mainly woodland and thus the phrase was originally “through thicket and thin wood.” This expression was used in a literal sense and the first record can be found in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Reeve’s Tale written in Old English which reads “toward the fen, ther wilde mares renne, And forth with “wehee,” thurgh thikke and thurgh thenne.”
The first usage of the modern version can be found in Richard Baxter’s A Saint Or a Brute: The Certain Necessity and Excellency of Holiness, from the year 1662. It reads “men do fancy a necessity [of holiness] where there is none, yet that will carry them through thick and thin.”
Example
An example of the usage of this expression can be found in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring which reads “You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you yourself keep it.”
Ne ratez pas
Should I be pleased to be described as “the laughing stock?”
publié le 4 June
Have you ever been described as "the laughing stock?" Do you want to know if this is a compliment or not? If this is the case then keep reading and th...
What does it mean if something happens at “the eleventh hour?”
publié le 2 June
The English idiom, "at the eleventh hour" is often used in conversation. It can seem rather confusing if you do not have prior knowledge of what it me...
This English expression is very commonly used, particularly in general day-to-day conversation. If you want to find out when and how to use it, read t...
