The Macmillan Open Dictionary is crowd-sourced, with entries coming in every day from all over the English-speaking world.
This week we’ve made a selection for you of the top 5 phrases users have submitted over the last few months.
Top 5 phrases in the Open Dictionary
Number 1 … because we’ve all done this:
kick the tire
to look and try or test a vehicle or another object before you buy it
Number 2 … wonderfully antiquated and feminine for a political context:
show a bit of ankle (also show a bit of leg)
especially in politics, to reveal a small part of your intentions in order to attract support, without actually committing yourself to doing anything
Number 3 … again, we’ve all done it and perhaps we all imagine an approaching wave that makes the line seem so temporary:
draw a line in the sand
to make it clear to someone that if they take certain actions they will be punished
Number 4 … it sounds Australian, doesn’t it? But this phrase is Irish in origin where a hooley is a slang term for a rip-roaring party:
blow a hooley (also blow a hoolie)
if it’s blowing a hooley, there is a storm with very strong winds
Number 5 – we love sports metaphors and this is a great one when you think of that ‘just made it’ feeling after completing a strenuous task:
nail the dismount
1. in gymnastics, to end a sequence correctly
2. to finish something off satisfactorily
Would you like to submit a word or phrase too? Find out more about the Open Dictionary and how you can add to it here.
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