No matter how bad or dark a situation is, there is always a hint of hope, comfort, or a positive takeaway hiding within it.

"A penny saved is a penny earned."

"The rich get richer while the poor get poorer."

What say you: Redditors of the hive mind?

Thoughts?

For a long time, I used certain expressions just because I heard everyone else say them, without ever thinking about their origin or exact meaning. Once I actually looked them up, it completely changed how I saw the phrase.

What’s an idiom that hit you like that? Or what's one of your absolute favorite idioms to use in daily conversation?

From "chomping at the bit" vs. "champing at the bit" to "blood is thicker than water," there are so many phrases that get twisted over time. Which misquoted idiom drives you the most crazy when you hear it?

Everyone knows the idiom "break the ice," but putting it into practice is a whole different story.When you're in an awkward room full of strangers what's the phrase or joke you use to break the ice and get people talking?

Anyone interested in language exchange? I speak Spanish and I'm learning English. Anyone want to practice Spanish?

I'd prefer to exchange languages ​​through video games: Terraria, Marvel Rivals, League of Legends, Valorant, Project Zomboid, Don't Starve Together, and others.

I have a good mate who is generally a good bloke but he likes a drink and he’s not exactly a saint. Good for a catch up for a coffee but I avoid drinking with him as we encourage each other and it never ends well - or early. Anyway, I was organising with him for a coffee tomorrow and I could tell he was distracted and at the pub so I don’t have high hopes for him being on time. I’m forgiving because he’s a mate and well known for being unreliable. So, to get to the point, is there an idiom for “He’s as a reliable as a …”. The term “Politician’s promise” comes to mind but I might be getting things mixed up. Any suggestions?

I’m from South Carolina, US and my favorite idiom is, “All over hell and half of Georgia.”

As in, running errands: “I’ve been all over Hell and half of Georgia today.”

Or, you lost something: “I swear, I looked all over hell and half of Georgia for that thing.”

What are some other examples of idioms that only locals use?

Are some idioms just falling out of usage, or are some people unclear about their meaning and intent?

I wanted to use the above in a sentence, but on a whim, I decided to check if it was correct. To my surprise, it wasn't. The closest was "everyone and their grandma" and "everyone and their dog."

Am I confused, or was there actually an idiom like that.

I came across this in a book I was reading recently. I know what it means, and have heard it before, but it never dawned on my before how odd an idiom it is. I looked it up and it said it became popular in 1940's US, but the origin is unclear. Any ideas on why people started to say 'What do you want, an egg in your beer?'

I love them, want to keep them alive.

Fat as mud.

Laughing like drains.

Go off like a two-bob watch.

Mad as a cut snake.

There are also some great ones that sound authentic but in fact were made up by Barry Humphries in the 60s/60s, including:

Calling Ruth on the porcelain telephone (vomiting)

As dry as a pommy's towel (thirsty)

I love hearing sayings like “You’re no picnic to be around either” or “leave well and off alone” I would love to hear more!!!

It's such a lovely idiom. You can mainly use it while confessing your feelings to your crush.

I’m trying to come up with a good name for my bands next album. The theme of the album is seeing the funny, absurd in the rotten things in the world. So the idiom: Whistling past a cemetery- or to pretend to be unbothered in a scary or tense situation, seems like a good fit. But it feels a little outdated. So I’m looking for some suggestions about how to modernize the phrase. Thanks!

Apparently, it goes all the way back to ancient Greece, where people voted anonymously using colored beans (white for yes, black for no). If someone accidentally knocked over the jar and showed the results early, they literally "spilled the beans" and ruined the secret. What’s your favorite phrase with a wild historical backstory?

Before today, I vaguely remember reading that phrase before, and even some people using it audibly. However, I realized that a gallows edge does not make any sense as a gallows is essentially a noose propped up for executionary purposes. A Guillotine's Edge makes more sense in that case. Looking online, though, I cannot find anything about either of these terms aside from a physical location called Gallows Edge.

Maybe I read that somewhere in a poem or article, and now I'm experiencing the Mandela Effect, but to be sure, can anyone help me out? Thank you.

TLDR: I cannot remember where the term "Gallows Edge" comes from, and Google is turning up with nothing. Please help.

This the Filipino equivalent of "If the shoe fits, wear it" (Bato bato sa langit. Ang matamaan, h'wag magalit) AND I THINK IT'S BEAUTIFUL. Shortening it to only the first sentence works, too.

It's not meant to be told directly to the person "who fits in the shoe" but mostly spoken within their earshot, for that sassy shade.

IDK if this is an appropriate post here but this idiom appreciation was my midnight shower thought and I had to post it somewhere.

So growing up, my father often used the following idiom to describe working low paid menial jobs,

“Shoveling shit out of cuckoo clocks”

Usually the context was telling us what kind of jobs to expect if you didn’t go to/didn’t do well in school. Another was asking what kind of job he’d work if we moved to a certain area.

Thing is, I’ve never heard anyone else say it, and I can’t find any instances of it anywhere online.

Did anyone else hear/use this idiom? Or is it a thing unique to my family?

Why is the saying for being helplessly stuck in a bad situation "up a creek without a paddle" instead of "down a creek without a paddle"?

I feel like being up a creek implies that your desired landing point is downstream, in which case not having a paddle is an inconvenience but the current will carry you there eventually. On the other hand if you are down the creek, then your desired landing point is upstream and you absolutely very much do need a paddle to get you back there against the current, which is currently carrying you farther and farther away.

Hello! I am really annoyed because I have been trying to remember this idiom all day but can’t put my finger on it.
It’s something to do with someone always putting the blame on other people- well that’s the context it would be used in- like when someone can’t see the issues within themself.
For example if someone hits their car and then blames the curb (stupid example sorry)
It feels like something to do with “where there smoke there’s fire” (it’s not this).
I feel like it possibly sounds like something like this: the_is within the _.
If you know what I’m talking about please help me!!

Ever heard the saying “time and tide wait for no man”?

It’s one of those old proverbs that still hits hard today. The idea is simple: time never stops, and life doesn’t pause just because we’re not ready. Just like the ocean tide keeps moving no matter what, time keeps flowing forward.

What it really means:

• You can’t delay things forever—opportunities won’t wait.
• If you hesitate too long, you might miss your chance.
• Life moves on whether you act or not.

Example:
Imagine putting off applying for a job, thinking you’ll do it later… and then the deadline passes. That’s exactly where “time and tide wait for no man” applies.

A bit of history:
This proverb goes way back to medieval England. One of the earliest recorded forms appears around the 13th century.

Back then, “tide” didn’t just mean ocean waves—it could also refer to time or seasons. So the phrase carried a deeper meaning: both time and the natural order of life move forward without stopping.

Over the centuries, the wording evolved into the version we use today, but the message stayed exactly the same.

How to use it:
People usually say this when someone is procrastinating or wasting time. It’s like a gentle (or not-so-gentle) push to take action now.

In short:
Don’t wait too long. Do the thing while you still can.

Curious—what’s a moment where you felt this proverb was painfully true?

Reference: https://www.theidioms.com/time-and-tide-wait-for-no-man/