From William Shakespeare to Seamus Heaney, figurative language such as idiom, metaphor, symbolism and allegory all function to make a poem sound more colourful and appealing to the reader. But are we ...

Whether at a birthday party in Brazil, a funeral in Kenya, or protests in Hong Kong, humans all use variations of the same facial expressions in similar social contexts, such as smiles, frowns, ...

Explore 25 intriguing backstories of common expressions in our latest video, "25 Fascinating Backstories of Common Expressions”.Ever wondered why we say "raining cats and dogs" or "Break a leg"? Join ...

English has some hilarious expressions—and their origin stories are funny, too! Find out where "last-ditch effort," "under the weather," and more come from. Our everyday language is full of idioms, ...

Being a linguist—and someone who has tried to learn several languages (including English) in addition to my mother tongue (Flemish Dutch)—I have an annoying habit: instead of paying attention to what ...

Facial expressions offer potent displays of emotions and to a large extent are universally understood. Yet the social context or framing around an expression is important and can color how we ...

For English language learners, mastering idioms is vital for academic and professional success. Proficiency exams like IELTS and TOEFL assess idiom comprehension, recognising it as a sign of advanced ...

Sir, – Hugh Pierce is much exercised by “flying the nest” as an expression, claiming that we are humans, not birds (Letters, September 5th). Has he never heard of Russell Crowe, Peter Finch, Robin ...

Being a linguist — and someone who has tried to learn several languages (including English) in addition to my mother tongue (Flemish Dutch) — I have an annoying habit: instead of paying attention to ...