To say someone is 'living under a rock' means that they have not kept up with current events, trends or beliefs because they have kept themselves isolated or simply don't care. It is pejorative.
Example:
-Can you believe he still thinks it's okay to beat your children?
-What rock has he been living under?
I love analyzing my native language, American English, and helping non-native speakers make sense of it. I've been doing this for fun with friends who speak English as a second language for nearly 30 years. I would like to first thank A.D., C.F. and E.A., and now P.G., for inspiring me to finally write this stuff down!
Showing posts with label pejorative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pejorative. Show all posts
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Tightwad
A 'tightwad' is a person who likes to hold on to their money and not spend it. The term is not a compliment, but is pejorative, and the person is often considered to be 'cheap.'
Example:
-My favorite kids' store is Gymboree. Where do you get your girls' clothes?
-I love Gymboree, too, but my husband is a total tightwad.
Example:
-My favorite kids' store is Gymboree. Where do you get your girls' clothes?
-I love Gymboree, too, but my husband is a total tightwad.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Soccer mom
A 'soccer mom' is a mom who lives in the suburbs, stays at home (doesn't work outside the home), drives a minivan and takes her kids to soccer practice, piano lessons or Scouts -- any kind of after school activity.
The term is slightly pejorative, as it implies the mom doesn't really do anything important -- she just drives her kids around. Still, there are enough soccer moms around that the term was coined.
Example:
-I'm such the little soccer mom!
-Ha ha! Me, too!
The term is slightly pejorative, as it implies the mom doesn't really do anything important -- she just drives her kids around. Still, there are enough soccer moms around that the term was coined.
Example:
-I'm such the little soccer mom!
-Ha ha! Me, too!
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