Going Solar

To go solar is to convert a house so that it will collect solar energy through the use of solar energy panels (or some kind of equivalent). It does not imply powering a house by electrical power alone, but suggests a great effort to maximize the percentage of power drawn from solar energy. The most reliable use of this energy is often to heat water.

Example: The White House, under President Obama, recently announced that it would place solar energy panels on the roof of the White House for the purpose of solar energy collection. Major media outlets widely reported that the White House was going solar, with the same meaning.

Note that this is not the first time the White House has been the site of solar panels; President Jimmy Carter was the first to do so. Solar panels were also used by President Bush (Sr.) for heating water in a limited capacity. Other recent presidents have shunned the appearance of transforming a national monument into an experiment.

Dropping Like Flies

When many living creatures, including plants, are dying in large numbers, English natives often say, they are "dropping like flies."

Few high school graduates in Western countries are unaware of fruit fly experiments. Fruit flies have a short life span; that is why science studies them extensively. A group of fruit flies that has reached the end of that life span will result in many small, dead flies lying on their backs. This is the image created by the expression, dropping like flies.

Example: "Many elderly people have been dropping like flies during the heat wave in Russia. Please, check up on your loved ones and make sure they are safe and sound." (Safe and sound is another idiom that means "safe and in sound (good) health.")

The Tip of the Iceberg

High school science classes teach us all about icebergs, or ice in general, and how the ice visible on the surface is only a small portion of the ice itself. This visual deception was one factor in the sinking of the Titanic in the early 20th century.

Figuratively, "the tip of the iceberg" is a small, visible portion of a larger, real problem.


Example: Company X is having trouble selling a particular product. A manager is examining customer complaints about the product. These complaints include frustration with customer support staff. The manager reports to the company president, "I'm sorry but, the complaints about thin-skinned customer support staff are just the tip of the iceberg. This product is the subject of five times the complaints of products we've sold in similar numbers. I'm convinced this is an indication of larger problems."

A Stick-In-The-Mud

Figuratively, a stick-in-the-mud (usually written with hyphens and pronounced as if it is one long word) is a person whose behavior resembles, well, a stick (of wood) impaled in mud: someone who is resistant to being pulled into a productive activity. Such a person is a loner who does not like group activities or may be actively hostile to them. In vocabulary, a "grouch" is similar.

Example: "Carol was inviting co-workers to a party. However, she did not even bother trying to invite Paul to the party. Carol knew Paul was a stick-in-the-mud who hated parties; even if Paul could be convinced to go, he would ruin the party with his negative attitude. As a result, Carol did not invite him at all."

Raining On Someone's Parade

To "rain on someone's parade" is to criticize someone when they are doing something that makes them happy, as if ruining a fun parade with a rainstorm. Example: "Bill rained on Janet's parade by badmouthing the graphics she did for the new ad campaign. She's quite upset about it; I mean, she woked so hard on those graphics."

Making Waves

To "make waves" is the opposite of "going with the flow." To make waves is to stand out, to demonstrate your individuality and uniqueness, and to make a name for yourself by becoming better known. Hopefully, when we make waves, it is in a good way, so that we are known for our successes, and not for our failures. Example: "Martha made waves when she campaigned for extra sick leave for all employees. Not everyone agreed with her, but everyone respected that she genuniely believes in her idea."

Go With The Flow

Figuratively speaking, "the flow" is the course of events; it is the direction society is taking, and the momentum behind the movement in that direction. To go with the flow is to do as others do and to take the path of least resistance, like water coursing through a river. Example: "You're new on the job. You should go with the flow for a little while until you get the feel of things. You can make a name for yourself later." The new worker is being advised to take his time and not focus on standing out as an individual until he understands the "flow" of the workplace.

Down to Earth

Someone who is "down to earth" is someone in touch with the lives and realities of ordinary people. No matter how high a person's social status, if we say that person is "down to earth," that person does not behave in a way that is separate from the average person. Example: "Louse makes a lot of money, but she's very down to earth. She treats everyone like they're important and doesn't act arrogant or spoiled whatsoever." This phrasing is meant as a compliment.

Under the Weather

Someone said to be "under the weather" is someone who appears to be at less than full health, like a sky that is cloudy instead of clear. The person can either be ill, or intoxicated; the important thing is that the person is not feeling well. Ex.: "Arnold looks under the weather. Maybe he's having a bad reaction to the mussels he ate last night?" Mussels are a type of sea food; people not used to eating them will sometimes get seriously ill due to sensitivity to particular bacteria. A milder reaction may merely make someone feel under the weather.

Weathering the Storm

To weather a storm is to endure a difficult, but temporary situation. Because the difficult situation is temporary, it resembles a passing storm. Eventually, the storm ends. Ex.: "The Senator was under a cloud of suspicion, but no hard evidence was found. As a result, he was cleared of all wrongdoing. He had successfully weathered the storm." In the West, the presumption of innocence means that an inability to prove someone guilty results in complete innocence before the law. Whether or not the public is convinced is another matter.

Having Your Head In The Clouds

To have your head in the clouds means that your thoughts are not on the task at hand. Your thoughts are elsewhere, as if they are floating in the clouds, not firmly planted into the soil. Ex.: "Keep your head out of the clouds and concentrate on finishing this essay! You can't keep your grades high if you don't finish your homework on time!" This is admonishing a student to focus on the task before him (an essay) rather than think about other subjects, perhaps more enjoyable ones.

Lightning-Quick

Something or someone that is lightning-quick is, figuratively, as quick (as fast and agile) as lightning. Ex.: "That hockey team's center is lightning-quick! He can score goals before you even know he's there." Can be written "lightning quick" (two words). Equivalents: Quick as a flash; quick as a wink; quick as lightning. All of these mean the same thing; the only thing that changes is how the idea is conveyed.

Literal vs. Figurative, Pt. II

For the idiom just posted below, some English natives might write, "Melissa is literally a ray of sunshine for everyone at the office."

This would be completely incorrect. Literally, Melissa is a human being, not a ray of light. Figuratively, she might be a ray of sunshine, but certainly not literally.

Using "She's a real ray of sunshine" is using a much lighter touch.

In both cases, the culprit is the common use of exaggeration in English. Those who say "a real ray of sunshine" try to use the word "real" as a strengthener; that is, a word to add emphasis to the sentence, like the bold I am using for this text (if you are seeing the text here on the blog, anyway). Rather than, for example, shouting the idiom out, people use certain words for emphasis.

Long ago, someone could say "a virtual ray of sunshine" and that would be strong enough. In popular American culture, people have become so accustomed to exaggeration that they will literally say, "She's literally a ray of sunshine." Nonetheless, this is wrong.

It is never correct to use a word as strong as literally for something that is not correct and true in reality, rather than in a figurative expression. More importantly, you cannot possibly sound well educated and articulate if you abuse the word "literally" for things that are not literal.

If only all native speakers followed this advice.

A Ray Of Sunshine

Figuratively, sunshine is strongly related to happiness. Therefore, a ray of sunshine is someone or something that brings happiness to others. Ex.: "Melissa always comes to work with a smile of her face. She's a real ray of sunshine to everyone at the office."

Under A Cloud

Full version: "Under a cloud of suspicion." Someone under a cloud is someone who is suspected of wrongdoing without clear evidence of guilt. Ex.: "As rumors of a plea deal emerge, Representative Charles Rangel remains under a cloud of suspicion of ethics violations despite denying all wrongdoing." (This is a real case happening right now.) Despite denials, allegations that have not been proven in a trial (a trial which may never occur of a plea deal happens) have clouded Rep. Rangel's reputation.

Stealing Someone's Thunder

To "steal someone's thunder" is an expression for taking the credit and praise for something someone else did. That is, someone else does the work, but you take the credit. Ex.: "Brian worked for a whole week on that project, but Dave acted like it was all his doing. You shouldn't go stealing someone else's thunder like that." Dave took credit for Brian's hard work.

In the movie "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief," a character steals the thunderbolt of the ancient Greek god, Zeus. While fiction, this would be stealing someone's thunder figuratively and literally.

Hitting the Sack

As detailed in "hitting the hay," sacks filled with hay were once used as mattresses in the United States. Thus, the expression "hitting the hay" came into wide use as a metaphor for going to bed and going to sleep. Ex.: "I'll hit the sack after I finish watching Jay Leno." (Jay Leno's comedy show is a late night television program, so anyone watching it is automatically up late to begin with.)

Hitting the Hay

Hitting the hay is an expression for going to sleep. Even when a far greater percentage of English-speaking society lived on a farm, humans did not actually sleep on hay itself; hay is made of straw, and straw prickles. Many domesticated animals, however, can sleep on hay just fine. More importantly, hay stuffed in sacks was often used as mattresses in the United States at the start of the 20th century (circa 1900). Thus, hitting the hay became an idiom for laying down on one's bed and going to sleep. Ex.: "I'm going to hit the hay right after making this last blog post..." This means, I will go to sleep after making this last blog post.

Digging Deep

Figuratively speaking, "digging" is searching, even if it has nothing to do with physical soil. "Digging deep" means to spend a great deal of effort searching for something. Ex.: "I had to dig deep to find the answer to question #5 on the exam. It was a tough one!" The speaker had to explore his or her own mind deeply to find the answer.