Friday, March 20, 2020

50 Idioms About Talking

50 Idioms About Talking 50 Idioms About Talking 50 Idioms About Talking By Mark Nichol Last week, I offered a roster of synonyms for talk and talking. This list expands on that theme by offering set phrases about talking and their meaning: 1. Beat (one’s) gums: to speak excessively and aimlessly 2. Bull session: a rambling group conversation 3. Chew the fat: to chat 4. Chew the rag: to chat 5. Diarrhea of the mouth: excessive talking 6. Dish out: to deliver critical comments 7. Flap (one’s) lips: see â€Å"beat (one’s) gums† 8. Gift of gab: a propensity for talking 9. (One) likes hear (oneself) talk: said of someone who is egotistical 10. Like talking to a brick wall: said of trying unsuccessfully to persuade or reason with someone 11. Run off at the mouth: see â€Å"beat (one’s) gums† 12. Shoot the breeze: to chat 13. Shoot the bull: to chat 14. Shoot the shit: to chat 15. Spill the beans: to divulge information, or to confess (see confess) 16. Speak out of turn: to say something inappropriate 17. Speak the same language: to be in agreement 18. Spit it out: to speak about something one is reluctant to discuss often used as an imperative 19. Talk a blue streak: to talk quickly and excessively 20. Talk a mile a minute: to speak rapidly 21. Talk around: to avoid (a subject) 22. Talk big: to brag 23. Talk dirty: to try to stimulate someone sexually by speaking provocatively 24. Talk (someone) down: to outdebate someone, guide someone through a difficult maneuver (especially a pilot flying a plane), or to successfully bargain for a better price 25. Talk down to: to speak condescendingly 26. Talk (one’s) ear off: to talk to someone excessively 27. Talk (one’s) head off: to talk excessively 28. Talk in circles: to speak in a confusing or indirect manner 29. Talk in riddles: to speak obscurely or with hints 30. Talk (one) into: to persuade someone 31. Talk on: to continue to speak, or to speak on a certain topic 32. Talk (oneself) out: to speak to the point of exhaustion 33. Talk (one) out of: to dissuade someone 34. Talk out of both sides of (one’s) mouth: to speak inconsistently about something depending on who one is talking to 35. Talk (something) out: to talk about something to reach a consensus or understanding 36. Talk (something) over: see â€Å"talk (something) out† 37. Talk sense: to speak reasonably 38. Talk shop: to speak about work-related issues outside the work environment 39. Talk some sense into: to talk to someone to persuade them to see reason 40. Talk the talk: to speak as if one is an authority or adheres to certain beliefs or values 41. Talk the talk and walk the walk: to act in accord with one’s stated beliefs or values 42. Talk through: to talk about something thoroughly to achieve a resolution 43. Talk through one’s hat: to speak insincerely, to talk nonsense, or to exaggerate 44. Talk to hear (one’s) own voice: to talk excessively, in an egotistical manner 45. Talk tough: to speak in an intimidating manner, or to bluster 46. Talk turkey: to speak frankly and/or with resolve 47. Talk until (one) is blue in the face: to speak exhaustively, especially in an unsuccessful effort to persuade 48. Talk (something) up: to promote something to draw attention to it 49. Talk (one’s) way out of: to say something so as to evade blame or avoid responsibility 50: You should talk: an admonition to avoid expressing oneself hypocritically Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with Heart50 Diminutive Suffixes (and a Cute Little Prefix)The "Pied" in The Pied Piper

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

5 Hacks to Improve Your Home Office Productivity

5 Hacks to Improve Your Home Office Productivity The experts at GlassDoor.com have put together a list of suggestions to improve your working-from-home productivity! The independence is priceless but the distractions are endless- these tips will help you make the most out of working from the couch or coffee shop in your sweats.1. Have an Office SpaceThe couch is your enemy when youre working from home. No, hear me out! The couch is where you watch TV, read, snooze, cuddle with loved ones, put your feet up. Your brain is wired to unspool when you feel its comfy embrace.Even if its just a basic dining room chair and a laptop desk, try to carve out a dedicated office space in your home. My husband and I each have ownership of a corner of the living room, and I rearrange my desk and bookcase configuration every 6 months or so to keep it fresh since I get tired of staring at the same walls all day.2. Schedule Your Work WeekThis one has been huge for me as I start a full-time freelance and teaching  schedule- I have to plot out deadlin es for my classes and fit freelance writing and editing projects in around those. If I dont know whats coming, I wont know when I need to pull a late night and when its okay to knock off early.Every week, take a few minutes to plan ahead- its vital time well-spent that will save you stress and scrambling down the line.3. Have a Regular RoutineThe beauty of working at home is that if I wanted, I could work from noon to 8 p.m. and lounge around every morning. But  Ive found that while I am the worlds crankiest morning person, getting up early, walking the dog, having breakfast and coffee, working diligently from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then doing smaller, less demanding projects in the afternoon hours is the way to go.Come up with some rituals that replace the morning commute (mine is an extra long shower), and reward yourself with a trip to the kitchen or the corner store when youve accomplished your goals for the day.4. Know Your MotivationThere is something about noise-canceling he adphones that immediately puts me in a ready-to-work mindset. Even if the apartment is quiet, confining my senses to my immediate surroundings helps me zero in on the work at hand.Figure out what motivates you to buckle down. Is it consistency? Variety? Do you need a different coffee shop table every day of the week or are you better off wearing a groove in your home office floor from sitting in the same spot?5. Get in a Working MindsetA tricky part about the omnipresence of Gchat or texting when you work from home is that you can actually stay just as connected to your friends at work as you could when you shared office space. Sometimes my husband works from home and I wind up relocating to the bedroom because Ive gotten so used to the empty space around me.Figure out how to filter out the distractions that might derail you- and remember, you are the only one responsible for getting your work done! Be gentle with yourself as you adjust, be realistic about what you can take on, and dont be afraid to draw firm work-life boundaries. Just because your home office is right next to your couch station is no reason you have to be on call 24/7!And truthfully, working from home isnt for everyone. There are likely co-working spaces near you where you can set up shop on a weekly or monthly basis if you find you need a background hum of things happening.