road of life—said of the general course of a person’s life: His past experiences seem to be serving him well, as he continues to travel along the road of life. way of life—mode of living or acting: Changes have begun to occur in all areas of their way of life as a result of sustained […]
Category: Confusing Phrases
Difference between River-horse and Sea-horse
river-horse—the hippopotamus: The crocodiles and riverhorses are common in this unpeopled region; and I often looked upon them with terror. sea-horse— 1. the walrus: From this account the horse-whale seems to have been the animal now called the walrus, or seahorse, whose tusks are ivory. 2. (pl.) white foam and spray on the crests of […]
Difference between Ritual act and Ritualistic act
ritual act—an activity which happens as part of a tradition: Herein lies the explanation of how the act of bathing could have become a ritual act sanctioned by many religions. ritualistic act—an activity which follows the same pattern every time it is used: I love tea because I love the ritualistic act of making and […]
Difference between Risk capital and Risk money
risk capital—(also: venture capital) money for speculative business investment: Kula Fund was established to provide long-term risk capital to private sector projects in the Pacific. risk money— 1. allowance to a cashier to compensate for ordinary errors: To meet deficiencies, some banks allow to each cashier a certain sum, which is called risk-money. 2. = […]
Ring one’s bell vs Ring someone’s bell
ring one’s bell —(also: blow one’s own trumpet) announce one’s own successes; praise oneself:
Difference between Ring alarm bells and Ring bells
ring alarm bells—arouse people to a sense of danger; put on the alert: The huge vote for fascist candidates should ring alarm bells across Europe. ring bells —(also: ring the bell) meet with approval; have a strong appeal: Macmillan’s speech rang bells around the world because it signaled the change in Britain’s colonial policy.
Ring a bell vs Ring the bell
ring a bell —(coll.) sound familiar; remind of smth.: The name of the company rang a bell. One of my neighbors worked for them during the war. ring the bell —(coll.) 1. (also: ring bells) be met with approval; be a complete success: The President’s speeches ring the bell with certain segments of middle America. […]
Difference between Right-hand man and Right-handed man
right-hand man—a person’s chief assistant: The relationship between the coach and his right-hand man, irrespective of his title, is pivotal. right-handed man—(also: right-hander) a man who uses his right hand for writing, etc.: I came to the conclusion that the blow might have been struck by a right-handed man.
Difference between Right-hand and Right-handed
right-hand— 1. said of smth. situated on the right side : Carry on past the school and take the right hand turning towards Heddington. 2. said of a car with right-hand steering: Not only will you have to deal with driving with a right-hand car, you will also have to deal with new traffic laws. […]
Difference between Right as nails and Right on the nail
right as nails —(coll., dated) said of smth. being satisfactory, safe, or comfortable: I really believe, in a fortnight I shall be as right as nails. right on the nail—(coll.) correct; exactly right: The recommendation to keep stable hours is right on the nail—I’ve tried to “educate” my son about this but he has not […]
Difference between Ride someone on a rail and Ride the rails
ride someone on a rail—punish a person by carrying him on a rail to be mocked: The gentleman ought to be ducked, ridden on a rail, tarred and feathered. ride the rails—(U.S. sl.) travel by rail, especially without a ticket: After college, Philip took off on a five-week tour of the country, riding the rails […]
Difference between Ride Shank’s pony and Ride the cotton pony
ride Shank’s pony—(dated) go on foot; walk: Ed and I chose to ride Shank’s pony rather than catch the bus, and we walked back to the camping area. ride the cotton pony—(U.S. sl., euph.) have one’s menstrual period: She doesn’t feel like going out with us ‘cause she’s riding the cotton pony.